Fórsa has told its members to press ahead with a 24-hour work stoppage and a series of rallies on Thursday 12 November, saying the plans will only be stood down if word comes back that an agreement has been reached.
The union's deputy general secretary, Katie Morgan, said in a message to members that more than 45,000 people have already indicated which of the eight demonstrations they intend to attend, according to RTE.ie. The rallies will run from 12pm to 2pm in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Sligo, Tullamore and Letterkenny, with the largest gathering in the capital.
The action is going ahead while talks continue on a revised public sector pay offer from the Government. The dispute has been running since unions turned down an earlier proposal of 7.75% over two and a half years.
Why it matters
The stoppage would hit public services across the country on a day when Ireland is hosting a major meeting of world leaders as part of its EU Presidency. The Dublin demonstration is expected to coincide with that summit, and extensive road closures and traffic restrictions are already planned because of it. RTE.ie reports that the Dublin march may run from O'Connell Street to Government Buildings, though the route and logistics are still being finalised.
The outcome of the talks also carries a large price tag. The Government's current offer of 10.5% is expected to cost the Exchequer close to €5 billion once measures aimed at lower-paid staff are included, according to RTE.ie.
That figure rests on earlier official estimates. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Jack Chambers told the Dáil, in reply to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan, that each 1% rise in public sector pay costs €437 million. The calculation covers pay, pension effects and other funding consequences.
Rallies instead of pickets
Rather than mounting pickets at their workplaces, striking workers are being encouraged to join the demonstrations, which the union describes as a way of bringing members together.
"Preparations are well under way for a 24-hour work stoppage on Thursday 12 November and rallies to mark the strike action and bring members together," Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan wrote to members. He urged them to make plans to attend with colleagues.
Morgan said the union is keeping its public comments to a minimum while negotiations are live. "Out of respect for the process, we are not commenting publicly on the talks," she said, adding that negotiators are concentrating on the Government-appointed group. Any agreement reached there would see the parties return to the Workplace Relations Commission, and only then could a deal be concluded, she said. Callinan described the current process as "very difficult".
Talks involving the group, which is chaired by WRC chair Kevin Foley, took place over the weekend and resumed on Monday.
Government position and union concerns
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the revised proposal is "a very fair offer" that addresses the criteria set out at the start of the process. He said the Government wants a sustainable budget that allows it to keep hiring teachers, nurses, special needs assistants and gardaí. Balancing pay against services and future development is what makes the offer fair, he said.
Tánaiste Simon Harris, speaking at a Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, called on unions to consider the revised offer in good faith and said the coming hours would be crucial.
Union sources, meanwhile, have raised concerns about how long any new agreement would run, indicating that a three-year term would prompt them to seek a larger increase. They are also seeking clarity on the overall costings and on the non-pay elements of the package. Unions have said they want terms better than the previous public sector pay agreement, which was worth 10.25% over two and a half years and lapsed at the end of June.
The affordability and fairness of the offer relative to private sector wages has also drawn scrutiny, with The Irish Times examining the question. The Journal reported that the Government had described the revised deal as "significantly improved", while the Irish Examiner put its value at 10.5%.
What happens next depends on whether the Government-appointed group can produce an agreement before Thursday, and on whether Fórsa's leadership then tells members the strike is off.
