Further strike threatened unless talks are successful

STRIKES by the bulk of the State’s 310,000 employees will cripple public services for another 24 hours next week unless pay talks beginning this afternoon are successful.

Before yesterday’s action had concluded, public service trade union leaders gathered to tell the Government it has less than a week to agree an alternative to the pay and pension cuts and compulsory redundancies it proposes.

Failure will see schools close and medical appointments and procedures cancelled on December 3.