Public sector unions plan 24-hour pay strike on 12 November as talks stall

Talks stall before a second strike

Talks on a new public sector pay deal were adjourned shortly before midnight on Friday, 30 October, after ten days at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Unions said the two sides had reached an impasse and that they could not see a way to an agreement they could confidently put to members in a ballot. The WRC then asked a Government-appointed group, chaired by WRC chair Kevin Foley, to examine the stuck issues and propose a way forward. That group is due to meet the unions on Tuesday, 3 November, and the unions' public services committee was briefed on Monday morning. Government sources say back-channel contacts continued over the weekend and that a breakdown before a restart is a familiar pattern, while union negotiators have little confidence in a quick resumption. Jack Chambers has voiced disappointment that the intensive negotiations have not produced an agreed outcome, and he stressed that the discussions remain confidential.

“As talks have yet to conclude, all discussions will continue to remain confidential to the parties.”

Strike date moves to 12 November

Unions had first pointed to Wednesday, 11 November for a second national stoppage, but that date has now moved to Thursday, 12 November. The 24-hour work stoppage would bring schools, hospitals, local authorities and other public services to a standstill, with 300,000 public sector workers across the country potentially involved. Rallies in Dublin and in regional centres are planned to mark the action. The earlier one-day stoppage on 14 October drew teachers, nurses, doctors and civil servants, and a second day set for 21 October was postponed once talks began. In a statement, the committee said:

“The Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has said the Government has yet to make a credible offer to resolve the current dispute.”

The committee also said it would discuss intensifying the work-to-rule and taking further action beyond 12 November, while preparations for the stoppage and rallies continue.

Escalation and the EU calendar

The strike day coincides with the arrival of about 50 European leaders in Dublin for the European Political Community meeting, which falls within Ireland's EU presidency. Leaders are also due to meet on Friday, 13 November, so a stoppage on the Thursday would land just before two days of high-level meetings. Government circles are anxious about a strike that would fall 24 hours before Ireland hosts European leaders. If talks cannot be restarted, further school closures and disruption to health services could follow in the run-up to Christmas. Fifteen affiliate unions not directly represented in the talks are to be briefed on Monday, and many constituent unions are expected to hold national executive meetings to endorse any new proposals for action.

What the unions want and the public mood

Unions set out three core demands: compensation for the gap between pay rises and inflation over the past five years, an additional increase for the second half of 2026, and safeguards against further inflationary pressures during any new agreement. Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan, who chairs the committee, has said the gap is still too wide for unions to recommend a deal to members. Government sources say the pay offer is reasonable and realistic and that other issues, including local bargaining clauses, are '99 per cent' there. A Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll found 77pc of respondents think striking improves their odds of a stronger pay settlement.