Taoiseach hopes for breakthrough in public sector pay talks ahead of next week’s strike

More than 300,000 public sector workers joined strikes this week, as unions and ministers remain at odds over how pay talks should begin

Taoiseach Micheal Martin talks to reporters about a public service worker strike before a Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings, Dublin. Picture date: Tuesday October 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed hope that a breakthrough could be reached on Friday to end the public sector pay stalemate between trade unions and the Government.

He confirmed there had been “intensive engagement behind the scenes” ahead of another planned day of strike action next week.

Unions have warned that next Wednesday’s strike will “absolutely” proceed, following similar action across the country this week, when more than 300,000 public sector workers took to the picket lines.

The public sector pay agreement expired in June, with unions and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers and his officials at odds over how talks should proceed.

Unions have called for pay to be discussed first, while Mr Chambers has said there can be no preconditions for talks. In recent days, he said pay could be a “priority” in negotiations before softening his position further on Tuesday, saying it could “absolutely” be a starting point.

Taoiseach hopes for breakthrough

Speaking in Brussels on Friday morning, Mr Martin said the Government was “anxious” to establish a process that would “respect” the trade unions’ views.

“There's been intensive engagement behind the scenes between the Government and the trade union movement, and I've been engaging with Minister Jack Chambers and my own team all day [Thursday],” Mr Martin said.

“Minister Chambers is making progress, and his officials, with the trade union movement, and we want to enter into talks, and we want to enter into negotiations.

ASTI and Forsa union members picketing at Patrician Academy secondary school at Mallow, Co Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

“I would hope today that we can progress this to a stage where we can get agreement in respect of a mechanism and a pathway to negotiations on a new public service pay agreement.

“Government is anxious to secure a new national pay agreement. We are anxious to have a process that will respect the trade union perspectives of the various trade unions that make up the public service trade union group, and we have been listening carefully over the last 48 hours again in terms of the precise mechanisms to deploy.” 

Mr Martin said he hoped the situation could be brought to a conclusion “relatively quickly”.

Unions warn next week’s strike will proceed

Trade union leaders met on Thursday afternoon to discuss their next steps following Wednesday’s strikes.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said on Thursday evening that strike action next week would “absolutely” go ahead.

“We had a meeting of our public services committee officers this afternoon. That was really about planning for next Wednesday,” Mr Callinan said.

He called for a “whole of Government” approach to address the concerns of public sector workers.