After Minister Eamon Ryan came under fire over the ESB’s decision to give pay increases to their staff the Minister announced that he knew nothing about the decision until he read it in a newspaper.
Today the Irish Independent reports that Ryan was fully aware of the ESB decision but refused to intervene to block the move.
A spokesperson for Mr Ryan said there was nothing he could have done to stop the payment going through because it was due under the national wage agreement.
“Can a Minister for Energy tear up a national wage agreement — no he can’t do it,” she said. “Can one fellow in a fit of pique do that, no, even if he really wanted to.”
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I see Bank of Ireland staff are getting a pay rise too, as public sector workers get it in the neck. Something in this ‘all pull together’ malarkey doesn’t smell right…
Ain’t that the truth…