LAST UPDATE | 21 Feb

Gavin Cooney

SIPTU WORKERS AT the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have demanded that management at the football body respond to a request from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to attend a meeting to discuss a long-term pay dispute. 

Union members want discussions on a benchmarking process they describe as “flawed”, saying it does not acknowledge the sharp rise in the cost of living for employees. Siptu workers also say the FAI has no proper pay grades, pay scales or bonus structure.

Members say they have requested an intervention on the issue from Sport Ireland, but the statutory body has declined to do so, saying they do not involve themselves in such matter. This, say Union workers, has left them no option but to refer the issue to the WRC. 

Siptu shop steward and FAI football development officer, Paul Keogh, said: “After many months of fruitless attempts to resolve pay issues directly with management, staff within the FAI have been left with no option but to refer this dispute to the WRC. Since the start of the tenure of the current FAI Chief Executive Officer in 2020, management has refused to sit down with union representatives to negotiate the pay and conditions of staff.”

Paul Whelan, also a shop steward and football development officer, added, “our members are furious that when the organisation is attempting to rebuild its reputation, after several difficult years, staff are being treated in such a dismissive manner by management.”

An FAI delegation were grilled by the Oireachtas Sport Committee last December, during which Sinn Féin TD Chris Andrews quizzed Hill about the FAI’s refusal to engage in collective bargaining with Siptu workers. Hill said he believed FAI management had a good relationship with Siptu workers, saying he had met with them four times in 2022 and three times in 2023. Hill also defended the benchmarking process, which he said led to a 12% pay increase across all staff. 

The FAI did not respond to a request for comment on this matter prior to publication. 

The FAI return to government buildings tomorrow morning, and are set to go before the Public Accounts Committee along with representatives from Sport Ireland.  The Association failed to submit an opening statement to the committee by today’s deadline, as is protocol. 

Discussion is expected to include a focus on the now-rectified issue which saw the FAI’s funding frozen last year, as CEO Hill was found to have been paid more than his permitted remuneration under the terms of the State bailout of the FAI. 

Hill apologised for the issue at the Oireachtas sport committee meeting last December, saying he did not request the payment in lieu of holidays not taken that led to his payment exceeding the threshold. Hill said he was not privvy to the suggestion he should get the money, and it was granted to him by former chairman Roy Barrett without the full approval of the board. 

Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon called this a “cock and bull story”, and has requested to see the email chain which led to the issue arising. Dillon also sits on the Public Accounts Committee. 

The FAI’s use of Covid relief funds is also expected to come under discussion, but in a briefing document submitted to the committee, Sport Ireland say they are satisfied the FAI’s portion of this money was used appropriately. 

In the same document, Sport Ireland give more clarity around the arrangements of a €7.63 million loan to the FAI to cover their annual licence fee on the Aviva Stadium. Under the terms of the FAI’s State bailout, Sport Ireland agreed to an interest-free loan to cover the FAI’s obligations. The FAI will now begin paying the money back via a reduction of €1 million in their annual State funding, beginning from 2024. 

The FAI will also use the meeting to put forward a case for an increase in the betting levy from 2% to 3%, and for at least some of the increased funds to be directed to football. 

With reporting by David Sneyd and Christina Finn