Fórsa, the country’s largest public sector union, is calling for a four-day working week to be piloted in parts of the public and civil service.
The union will launch its General Election manifesto, which also calls on the next government to prioritise pay increases that go beyond rates of inflation, and to protect remote working.
“The manifesto outlines what a society that works for workers would look like.
“It outlines the policies that would address the major challenges faced by Fórsa members at work and in their lives,” according to the union.
On the issue of pay, the manifesto calls on the next government to negotiate and agree with trade unions a successor pay agreement, with increases in real terms that go beyond inflation, to follow the current public sector pay agreement which runs until 2026.
Fórsa is seeking the removal of the two lowest points, applied in the austerity era, to pay scales for new entrants to the public service.
It is also calling for a reduction in the number of increments in public service pay scales and for the replacement of the minimum wage with a living wage.
This would be based on 60% of the median hourly wage, as per the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission, and the commitment contained in the 2020 Programme for Government.
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Meanwhile, SIPTU, the country’s largest trade union, has issued an update to members in the private sector on the areas it wants prioritised by the next government.
The union is calling for new legislation to protect union activists, enhance trade union activity and increase collective bargaining.
It is seeking an increase in the weekly maximum statutory redundancy level from €600 to €1,000.
SIPTU is also calling for the establishment of a Transport Police Service in response to increasing anti-social behaviour and violence on the public transport network.
In 2019, there were around 500 reports of anti-social behaviour on Dublin Bus, but last year the figure had risen to over 1,000, the company has said.
