Keeping You Abreast – What the hell is Croke Park II?

It’s nothing nearly as cool as Terminator II but it is a lot more important to many hundreds of thousands of people.

The Croke Park agreement, or Croke Park I as it is now known, was the deal struck between the unions and the government in 2010. It was due to run until 2014 but the government decided to renegotiate it now and for the best part of the last week, talks between the relevant parties have been ongoing in Dublin.

So, how have they been going? Depends on your viewpoint. On Sunday, four unions (UNITE, CPSU, INMO and the IMO) walked out of the talks. Undaunted, the talks went on and with the likes of big unions like SIPTU, IMPACT, INTO and PSEU still involved, the deal had enough support to get through.

The old deal, Croke Park I, was criticised by some for being too soft on the public service and this new deal certainly sounds tougher to outside ears.

Longer hours, a reduction in additional payments and significant changes in work practices and mobility will be painful for some. Those most affected, like the CPSU and INMO, cited those as the reason for stepping away and they continue to oppose the deal.

Using the big unions who stuck with the process until the end the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have enough votes to get the deal through when it is voted on in a few weeks. But the opposition to Croke Park I, led by the unions who have already rejected it, is building.

It is far, far from a done deal yet and with Gardai set to begin their protest, others may follow a similar ‘work to rule’ style protest if the deal is signed against their will.

In association with Supermacs, the home of the chicken breast sandwich.