“Up to 300 senior university professors are getting backdated 8pc pay rises which will amount to more than €10,000 each. The €3m bill for additional pay was sanctioned by Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s Department of Education and Science last month, the Irish Independent has learned. Up to 5.5pc will be backdated to September 2007 and the remaining 2.5pc to last March. The disclosure of the 7.5-8pc pay rise comes as Government engages in tough talks with the social partners about slashing pay and public spending – and will only add to the budget woes of the universities, which are facing severe cutbacks …” (more)
[John Walshe, Independent, 29 January]