Thousands of Eir and An Post workers are set for pay rises worth 4pc a year under new multi-year wage deals.
A total of 3,500 workers at Eir will benefit from pay rises worth up to 11pc over 33 months, an average of almost 4pc a year.
The Communications Workers Union said there will be “pay progression” for staff in managerial grades that could mean increases totalling 13pc over the term of the deal.
Another 8,500 staff at An Post will receive pay rises worth an average of 8pc over two years, or 4pc a year.
Up to 500 delegates at the Communications Workers Union’s 12th biennial conference, which opens in Galway today, will debate the pay deals. The union describes the deals as “significant”.
Its national executive committee is recommending that members back the deals in ballots.
Seán McDonagh, CWU general secretary, said the proposed pay deals are the culmination of difficult and protracted negotiations against the backdrop of high inflation, higher interest rates and increased pressures on household budgets for ordinary workers trying to support themselves and their families.
“We had ground to make up which I believe we have in the agreements we are recommending to members,” he said.
“We are confident that these agreements will provide much needed increases in pay for workers at An Post and Eir, and a level of certainty for their leadership.”
Mr McDonagh said the deal at Eir is for a 33-month period from July 1 this year and will end on March 31 2027.
He said the phasing of increases are front-loaded to ensure that over 50pc of the total increase will be reflected in wages and salaries within 12 months of the agreement commencing.
Pay rises will be given in six phases under the Eir agreement.
Those earning below €50,000 will get a total of 11pc in six phases, starting with 3pc this July, followed by 1.5pc in January next year, 2pc next July, 2pc in January 2026, 1.5pc in July that year and 1pc in January 2027.
Those earning between €50,000 and €70,000 will get a total of 10pc, while those earning over €70,000 will get pay rises worth 6pc.
A new work life balance measure means staff will no longer have to work on Sundays, but will remain on call.
The two year agreement at An Post will be paid in three phases, with a 4pc increase backdated to January 1 this year, another 3pc from January 1 next year, and 1pc on June 1 2025.
The An Post deal lasts until December 31 next year.
Mr McDonagh said the An Post deal is the highest pay increase agreed at the company in 20 years.
He said it is a just reward for the essential contribution of workers at An Post to the transformation of the company “which continues to provide a critical, first class service to its customers”.
Meanwhile, Mr McDonagh, said: “The union faces strong anti-union bias and opposition from many multinational companies located here across the postal and logistics, call centre and tech sectors. He said some of them hold government contracts.
“The only way to address this issue is to take it off the table. This can only be done by enshrining in law the rights of all workers to organise, and to access collective bargaining through the union of their choice. The Government has the opportunity to do this when they transpose the Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages later this year. They must not squander it.”
