Employment scheme supervisors to strike over pensions

Supervisors in community employment schemes around the country are to hold a 24-hour strike on 14 February in a long-running dispute over their pension rights.

There are around 1,250 supervisors and assistant supervisors, who oversee government-funded community schemes delivering services ranging from childcare to meals on wheels, disability and involvement in the Tidy Towns programme.

However despite that government funding, staff in these schemes do not qualify as public servants, and so do not have access to the public service pension scheme.

In 2008 the Labour Court recommended that a pension scheme should be put in place for the supervisors, but that has never happened. 

It is estimated that around 900 supervisors and assistant supervisors who have retired are solely reliant on the State pension when they retire - because the recommended occupational pension scheme was never set up.

In a recent ballot, over 90% of the workers represented by SIPTU and Fórsa voted for industrial action which will see a one-day strike and rally on 14 February, a two-day strike a week later, followed by a graduate escalation to a three-day stoppage.

In addition, the supervisors will refuse to engage in work involving the Department of Social Protection and other tasks, including potentially payroll, and responding to emails or phone calls.

SIPTU Official Eddie Mullins described the members' mood as "totally frustrated".

He said the dispute could have been resolved by one-off gratuities at a cost of around €31 million, but the government had failed to engage with this option.

Last year, the unions deferred a planned five-day strike based on a pledge from the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty that the pension issue would be addressed. 

In a recent letter to SIPTU, Ms Doherty appealed to the unions to rethink their proposed industrial action. 

She said she remained committed to "flexible and imaginative" interventions that could benefit the affected workers but went on to caution: "However, any solutions on this subject would need to have regard to the implications across the Exchequer funded services provided by the wider community and voluntary sector. In that regard, discussions have also continued between my Department and DPER [the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform] with regard to that Department's role in sanctioning pay and pay-related expenditure."

She concluded: "As my officials are currently pursuing this matter with DPER, I would ask that you continue to engage in this process  which I believe represents the best hope for meeting your members' needs  and rethink any proposed industrial action."

However, sources indicated that funding has never been made available by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER).

It is understood that DPER has been concerned about the possible knock on effects of granting pensions to the supervisors - and that last year, a scoping exercise calculated a potential cost of between €188 and €347 million - in addition to any provision for an immediate ex-gratia lump sum.