Independent group to continue engagement on pay dispute

Independent group to continue engagement over public sector pay

Updated / Thursday, 5 Nov 2026 08:39

Independent group to continue engagement over public sector pay

The Department of Public Expenditure has said that an independent group is continuing to engage with both sides in the ongoing dispute over public sector pay.

Trade unions and Government representatives held separate talks with the mediators yesterday.

It is understood further discussions could take place in the coming days.

Engagement began on Tuesday with a Government-appointed group chaired by Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Chair Kevin Foley.

On Monday, unions announced plans for a 24-hour strike on Thursday 12 November.

They have accused the Government of failing to make a credible offer on pay.

Talks at the WRC were adjourned on Friday night with unions saying that a significant impasse had been reached.

It is understood unions rejected a Government offer of pay increases worth 7.75% over two and a half years.

This would include a 1.75% increase from 1 November 2026.

There would then be a series of pay increases over the course of 2027 and 2028 totalling 5%.

A further 1% would be allocated for local bargaining, which allows for pay issues to be addressed involving specific roles and grades.

General Secretary of Fórsa and Chair of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions' Public Services Committee Kevin Callinan said they are looking for a better deal than the last public sector pay agreement.

That was worth 10.25% over two and a half years. It expired at the end of June.

The strike next week will coincide with the first of two meetings of European leaders due to take place as part of Ireland's EU Presidency.

There will be a demonstration in Dublin and smaller rallies around the country as part of the strike.

After the work stoppage, unions said they will intensify the work-to-rule action that is already under way across the public sector and look at taking further industrial action.

Mr Callinan said future action may take the form of rolling strikes in individual sectors of the public service.

"In my own union, we're looking at the option of deploying our strike fund to take out sections of our members for a week and make up their wages," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

"We could do that for very significant numbers in key areas if we have to. We could rotate it week by week. Maybe 1,000 members here one week, 1,000 members in another place the following week," he added.

Delays in agreeing to a new public sector pay deal led to a 24-hour strike by more than 300,000 public sector workers last month.

A second planned strike was suspended to allow for talks, however, industrial action in the form of a work-to-rule is continuing.