Chief Executive Officer
of the Vocational Education Committee
named in the address.
18 October, 2004.
Circular Letter No: F64/04
Dear Chief Executive Officer,
I am directed by the Minister for Education and Science to refer to the application in the education sector of the terms of Sustaining Progress and the associated pay agreement, and to convey the approval of the Minister for the payment of the following revised pay rates, attached herewith, and tool allowance to Craftpersons employed in your scheme. This Circular Letter has been published on the Web and may be accessed at
Revision of Pay
- The Education Sector Performance Verification Group (ESPVG) has carried out an assessment of progress achieved to date by each VEC on the implementationof the agreed Action Plan for Craftworkers in the VEC sector. The ESPVG has decided on the basis of an assessment of the reports submitted to it that the level of progress achieved during the period under assessment warrants the payment of the pay increase due on 1st Janaury 2004, as set out in paragraphs 19.18 and 19.19 of the Sustaining Progress Pay Agreement.
- The increases incorporate the second phase of the parallel benchmarking increase and the general 3% round increase due under Sustaining Progress.
- The revised salary scales, as appropriate, are set out in the schedule attached to this Circular Letter.
4.Craft workers’ Tool Allowance: Subject to verification of progress at each stage of the implementation of the Action Plan the Craftworkers’ Tool Allowance is payable on a phased basis as follows in line with the Benchmarking payments:
01-12-2001 -- 31-12-2003 €462.50
01-01-2004 -- 31-12-2004 €666.00
01-01-2005 -- 31-12-2005 €795.50
01-01-2006 -- 31-12-2006 €888.00
The allowance, which is non-pensionable, is payable once per annum in December only to grades covered within the Craft Analogue Agreement, i.e. those operating as Craftworkers or supervisory Craftwokers. It is not payable to any other grades even those that are analogous to craft grades for pay relationship purposes. These analogous grades will attract the pay increases under the Parallel Benchmarking Agreement in the normal way subject to the verification procedures. However, such grades are not entitled to payment of the Tool Allowance. The allowance is not payable in respect of long-term sick leave etc. It is subject to the normal statutory deductions.
Calculation of pay rate to apply from 1st January 2004
5.Section 19.19 of Sustaining Progress provided that one half of the pay increases recommended under the parallel benchmarking process be paid with effect from 1st January 2004.
6.For calculation purposes the second phase increase of one half due under parallel benchmarking has been added to the first phase increase of one quarter of the benchmarking award. The combined total of three quarters of the increase recommended has been added to the pre-benchmark pay rate as at 30th November 2001. The increase has been added to each point of the incremental scales.
7.The basic pay rates resulting from the above calculation have been adjusted to take account of the 1st October 2002 increase of 4% paid under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and the increase of 3% approved under paragraph 2 above.
Future benchmarking increases
8.Future payments of Parallel Benchmarking increases are dependent, in the case of each grade, on verification of co-operation with flexibility and on going change, maintenance of stable industrial relations and the absence of industrial action in respect of any matters covered by Sustaining Progress. Payment is dependent on verification of satisfactory achievement of targets to be achieved in relation to ongoing change and flexibility.
Part time staff
9.The pay of part-time staff may be revised, in accordance with the normal arrangements, by reference to the pay of wholetime staff to which they are related for pay purposes.
Pensions
10.Pensions in the course of payment on 31st December, 2003 in respect of retired Craftperson staff may be adjusted in the normal way, by reference to the revised salary scales, as appropriate, (excluding the tool allowance) set out in the schedule.
Cost of Increase
11.In accordance with your VEC’s budget letter, adjustments will be made, where appropriate, to your schemes pay allocation on receipt of the following pay cost information.
Pay Headings
/ Current Year 1/1/04 – 31/12/04 /Total
Total12.Please provide a copy of this Circular Letter to staff members, as appropriate, in the normal way.
13.Any queries regarding the implementation of this Circular Letter, at VEC level, should be addressed to the Post Primary Administration office in Tullamore. (Tel: 0506-25406, Fax: 0506-25347).
J. Kelly
Post Primary.
e-mail:
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