Efforts to get collapsed public sector pay talks back on track were set to continue on Wednesday, 4 November, after a Government-appointed steering group held separate meetings with unions and officials on Tuesday. Both sides are trying to avoid a second national public service strike, pencilled in for Thursday, 12 November, which would shut schools and force the cancellation of thousands of hospital appointments.
Who is trying to broker a deal
The three-person group is led by Workplace Relations Commission chairman Kevin Foley, alongside Department of the Environment secretary general Oonagh Buckley and Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary Owen Reidy. Tuesday’s engagements wrapped up at around 5.30pm, the Irish Examiner reported, with both sides asked to reflect on what had been discussed.
A spokesperson for Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said officials would engage intensively and constructively to resolve matters without undue delay.
Meanwhile, the strike machinery keeps turning. All three teachers’ unions had authorised the stoppage by Monday evening, and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation was due to follow late on Tuesday, The Irish Times reported.
The offer on the table
The Government’s package, rejected by unions last Friday, is worth 7.75% over the life of the deal to November 2028, including 1% for local bargaining. The Irish Times put the total cost at €3.5 billion.
Unions say the offer is not credible and question the inflation forecasts behind it, warning it could leave members facing a real-terms pay cut. They also want the local bargaining element to be 2%, as they say it was in the last agreement, and point out there is no specific measure to help the lowest paid, a key concern for Fórsa and Siptu.
Public sector pay talks row hits the Dáil
In the Dáil on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended the package, saying it was “not a small offer” but had to be sustainable, according to the Irish Examiner. He said there was no need for a strike and that, with goodwill, a resolution could be found.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Government of a lack of respect that had pushed workers onto the picket line, and of dithering by letting the last agreement expire. She highlighted a €95,000 pay increase approved for the chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority as evidence of unfairness. Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan described the Government’s handling of the talks as a disaster.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said the Government was trying to find a solution, telling reporters there were “nine days to go until the next strike action”, The Irish Times reported.
Why the date matters
The planned strike falls on the same day Dublin hosts the European Political Community summit, attended by around 50 leaders, raising the prospect of around 300,000 public servants walking out while the leaders are in town. Whether the public sector pay talks can be revived in time is now the key question for both sides.
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Sources: The Irish Times, Irish Examiner
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