University staff to be balloted for industrial action over Government's 'failure' to negotiate pay deal

'Higher education staff cannot be expected to continue absorbing rising living costs while their pay is left unresolved. Nor can they be expected to accept unfinished commitments or the possibility of changes being imposed without agreement,' union says.

Staff at higher education institutions across the country are to be balloted for industrial action, up to and including strikes, by their union. 

The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) will ballot its members over what it described as the Government's "failure" to establish a basis for negotiations on a new public service pay agreement. 

The public service agreement expired at the end of June. The IFUT said there was "no meaningful" negotiating process under way on a successor agreement. 

IFUT general secretary Frank Jones said higher education staff had "delivered stability, flexibility and continuity throughout successive public service agreements".

He added: "In return, Government has allowed the current agreement to expire without a pay settlement for the second half of 2026 and without a credible process to replace it.

This is not a technical delay. It is a serious failure to respect public servants and the collective-bargaining process.

“Higher education staff cannot be expected to continue absorbing rising living costs while their pay is left unresolved. Nor can they be expected to accept unfinished commitments or the possibility of changes being imposed without agreement." 

The ballot will seek IFUT members’ authority to take industrial action should this become necessary to secure an "acceptable" pay settlement covering July to December, as well as "appropriate" pay increases for 2027. 

The ballot also seeks authority for action for the early conclusion of outstanding claims submitted under the 3% local bargaining clause of the previous public service agreement, and the protection against "the unilateral imposition of changes" to work practices without agreement with the union.