Public servants to strike over pay cut plans

THE bulk of the country’s 310,000 public servants, including teachers and nurses, are planning a 24-hour strike in the last week of November in protest at Government plans to cut 6.5% off the public sector pay bill.

The Cabinet is also planning to reduce the social welfare bill by €1.3 billion.

The balance of €1.4bn needed to make up the €4bn the Government has targeted to save in the December budget will come from cuts to Government services.