Over 300,000 Irish public sector workers set to strike on Wednesday, 14 October

The dispute

Much of Ireland's public sector is due to stop work on Wednesday, 14 October, in the first strike of this scale since the height of the financial crisis in 2009. Reuters reports that some 300,000 teachers, health workers, civil servants and other public workers plan to take part in the one-day action. Trade unions rejected a late government bid to avert the stoppage, and the row centres on the basis for starting pay talks. Unions want pay agreed before other issues such as productivity are discussed, citing cost-of-living pressures, while ministers reject that condition as a break from previous deals. The last pay deal expired at the end of June, and unions want any new deal to close the gap between pay and inflation over previous years.

The government's last-ditch offer

In a letter to union leaders issued on 12 October, Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers urged the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) to postpone the strike and attend talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Tuesday, 13 October. He pointed to the €1.2 billion provided for public sector pay in the Budget as evidence of the Government's commitment to an agreement. On the central sticking point, Chambers wrote:

pay issues can and should be discussed as a priority alongside other matters

The chair of the ICTU public services committee said union leaders could not see how this represented any change in Chambers' position or provided a basis for postponement. Unions have said they have no confidence the Government will table a credible offer, and it is not yet clear whether ICTU has responded to the letter. In the same letter Chambers described the strike as unnecessary and warned of its costs.

The planned strike action on Wednesday the 14th of October will cause great disruption to the public, especially the most vulnerable in our society, and also result in an avoidable loss of earnings for public servants

Services that will close or be cut

Schools will close, the Dáil will not sit, and up to 150,000 medical appointments will be cancelled on Wednesday, according to the Irish Independent. The HSE said on Sunday night that it is planning to cancel all non-urgent healthcare services across hospitals and community settings, and has begun contacting affected patients directly. Emergency departments, urgent cancer treatment and dialysis will continue, while ambulance services will run a curtailed service. Reuters reports that fire services will also run a reduced service, and hospitals have warned of "significant and widespread" disruption with routine procedures cancelled. Public transport will be unaffected.

Who is affected

TheJournal reports that 385,000 workers are covered by the expired pay agreement, though not all are legally entitled to strike, and that some union figures warn 400,000 could take part. Many workers will be in an all-out strike with workplaces closed, while some have been given a derogation allowing them to carry out essential work such as emergency care. Fórsa, Ireland's largest public sector union, says the action will be the biggest public sector strike since 2009. The Irish Independent also reports that more than 23,000 secondary school teachers and third-level lecturers began industrial action on 12 October.

What comes next

Talks at the WRC are proposed for Tuesday, 13 October. The Irish Times reports that union bosses suggest more industrial action could follow in the absence of proper progress. A second one-day strike is scheduled for Wednesday, 21 October, if required. Chambers wrote that an agreement could have been reached by now and can still be reached without delay if both sides engage intensively. Union leaders Kevin Callinan and Phil Ní Sheaghdha said earlier on Monday that unions would consider the wording of any Government approach carefully before deciding whether to engage.