Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is a very simple measure. We negotiate collective agreements with public sector unions. That is the way it has always been done. Most public servants are members of trade unions which negotiate on their behalf. Once a deal is cut, members are expected to take it in its totality if they want to avail of the benefits. The notion that any public sector worker should expect to receive the benefits of the deal without taking it in its totality collapses the basis of collective bargaining and negotiations. It is the fundamental basis on which trade unions operate in industrial relations.