Public sector strike: Unions’ confidence in industrial relations process ‘severely damaged’

Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) general secretary Owen Reidy. Ictu’s public sector committee said the Government must acknowledge pay issues at the start of talks, rather than at the end. File picture: Niall Carson/PA

A last-ditch effort by the Government to avoid widespread public sector strikes has been shot down by unions, with hundreds of thousands of workers expected to join picket lines tomorrow, Wednesday.

Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers wrote to union leaders on Monday afternoon calling for talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), but the proposal was rejected less than two hours later.

The public sector committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) said that Mr Chambers’ offer did not represent a change in the Government’s position.

Schools and hospitals to be affected

The nationwide strike is expected to disrupt schools, hospitals, and a range of public services.

Hundreds of thousands of workers — including nurses, doctors, teachers, and civil servants — are due to take part in a 24-hour work stoppage as part of a dispute with the Government over pay.

In a letter, Ictu’s public sector committee said the Government must acknowledge specific pay issues raised by unions. This must be dealt with at the start of talks, rather than at the end, it said.

It calls for the Government to restore confidence in the industrial relations process, which had been “severely damaged” by unimplemented commitments in the previous pay deal.

Mr Chambers is expected to brief Cabinet on the strikes today, Tuesday, with a memo pointing to the expected impacts of the strike, including the cancellation of hospital appointments and non-emergency procedures, as well as the closure of schools, colleges, and universities.

Cabinet is then expected to sign off on a statement, which will say it is disappointed by repeated rejection of talks by unions.

It will add that the Government remains committed to entering talks on a new pay deal, suggesting these can begin immediately at the WRC.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Chambers said that pay “can and should be discussed as a priority”, alongside “other matters” as part of the talks. He said: 

I believe an agreement can be reached without delay if both parties are willing to enter an intensive process of engagement as soon as possible.

Mr Chambers pointed to the €1.2bn in funding made available for a pay deal, while describing the strike action as “unnecessary”.

Union sources said the funding earmarked by Mr Chambers falls well short of what is needed to support pay increases across the public sector.

Government sources, however, pointed to a contingency fund, arguing that additional money could be brought into play once formal negotiations get under way.

'Unions in it for the long haul'

Government sources acknowledged that Wednesday’s strikes now appear inevitable, with one source questioning what Mr Chambers’ next move could be.

One union source said they were in it “for the long haul”, suggesting work stoppages could continue beyond the two confirmed strike days on October 14 and 21.

Schools and hospitals affected

The HSE has confirmed the strike means all non-urgent appointments are cancelled. Emergency services remain open, but the ambulance service is curtailed.

Pickets are also planned for the vast majority of schools across the country.

Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha urged members to “show up and take part in picket duties”.

Nurses’ concerns “haven’t been heard properly by Government”, she said on Monday.

Primary school teachers were told the Government’s “failure to deliver meaningfully” for workers in Budget 2027 failed to change the trajectory of the public sector pay dispute.

• Tadgh McNally, Political Reporter
• Jess Casey, Education Correspondent
• Niamh Griffin, Health Correspondent