Irish public sector unions have announced plans for a 24-hour nationwide strike on Thursday, 12 November, amid growing frustration over delays in reaching a new pay agreement with the Government.
The decision was made following a meeting of the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), where union representatives expressed anger at what they described as the Government's failure to make a credible offer to resolve the ongoing dispute.
Pay negotiations broke down late on Friday night, with talks adjourned without agreement. Union leaders subsequently met to consider their next steps.
Lead union negotiator Kevin Callinan said there was considerable anger among representatives at the meeting, which had developed into a determination to pursue further action.
The strike had initially been proposed for Wednesday, 11 November, but was moved to Thursday, 12 November, for logistical reasons. The date coincides with the first of two meetings of European leaders scheduled to take place during Ireland's EU Presidency. However, Mr Callinan denied that the timing was deliberately chosen to coincide with the European gathering.
The planned stoppage will be accompanied by a major demonstration in Dublin, alongside smaller rallies across the country.
Unions have also warned that, following the strike, they intend to intensify the work-to-rule action already taking place throughout the public sector and consider further industrial action.
Despite the escalation, union representatives confirmed they remain open to negotiations and will meet a Government-appointed group on Tuesday, 3 November.
The group, chaired by Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) chair Kevin Foley, was established to help develop a framework for resolving the stalled pay negotiations after the WRC intervened.
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers described the decision to announce another strike as "extremely regrettable", warning that it would cause significant disruption to essential public services while negotiations remain ongoing.
He confirmed that Government officials would fully participate in Tuesday's meeting, emphasising that the Government wants an agreement that is fair to public sector workers while remaining financially sustainable for the State.
The latest announcement follows a 24-hour strike on 14 October, when more than 300,000 public sector employees, including teachers, nurses and doctors, took part in one of the largest days of industrial action since the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash.
A second planned strike was subsequently suspended to allow negotiations to continue, although work-to-rule measures have remained in place.
Source RTÉ
