Irish public sector unions suspend strike as pay talks begin
Irish public sector unions suspended a national strike set for Wednesday to allow pay talks, RTÉ reported. The talks with the government began Monday, and a work-to-rule goes on. Prime Minister Micheál Martin said any pay deal must have productivity elements, The Irish Times reported.
Public sector unions in Ireland agreed to suspend a second national strike, planned for Wednesday, October 21, to allow pay talks with the government, RTÉ reported. The Irish Times reported that the action was called off after the government and unions reached a framework agreement over the weekend. Engagement on Saturday chaired by Workplace Relations Commission chairman Kevin Foley led to progress, according to The Irish Times.
The talks began Monday afternoon at the Workplace Relations Commission and ended after about five hours, RTÉ reported. Negotiations adjourned Monday night without agreement, Ocean FM reported. Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the first day was a chance for each side to lay out its opening positions, according to RTÉ. "We went through, in some detail, our priorities in relation to pay and the various aspects of it," he said. A work-to-rule is continuing across the public sector, RTÉ and Ocean FM reported.
The talks were set to start with the unions' cost-of-living claims, including demands to address a shortfall of 5% to 7% in pay increases since 2021 when inflation is taken into account, The Irish Times reported.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Ireland's prime minister, said any deal must include productivity elements. "Obviously there has to be value for money, there has to be productivity and all of that, and that has always been our position," he said Sunday, according to The Irish Times. He declined to discuss whether the €1.2 billion set aside for a deal in the budget could grow. "Nothing is decided, no precise figures have even been mentioned yet," Martin said. Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said the government wants "a fair, meaningful and credible pay agreement" that also drives "productivity and reform," RTÉ reported.
One union, Unite, voted against deferring the strike and was due to consult its shop stewards Monday, The Irish Times reported. The paper said it appeared possible that Unite, which represents about 4,000 public sector workers, could still strike if its members backed it. The sources do not say what Unite decided.
More than 300,000 public sector workers took part in a 24-hour strike last Wednesday over delays in agreeing a new pay deal, RTÉ reported. Senior government sources hope the talks can wrap up in weeks but are prepared for them to last longer, according to The Irish Times.
What we know: Unions suspended Wednesday's national strike, and pay talks began Monday at the Workplace Relations Commission.
What we don't: Whether the talks will produce a deal and whether Unite will strike on its own.
Where outlets agree The Irish Times and RTÉ report that unions stood down Wednesday's strike for talks at the Workplace Relations Commission and that the government wants productivity in any deal.
Where they differ The Irish Times reports that Unite voted against deferring the strike and could still walk out, while RTÉ reports only that unions agreed to suspend it as a work-to-rule continues.