'Window over weekend' to resolve pay row, says Tánaiste

Tánaiste Simon Harris has said there is "a particularly important window available over the weekend" to resolve the ongoing public sector pay talks dispute.

Speaking with reporters in Cork city before his party's ard fheis this weekend, the Fine Gael leader said there is a need "to work intensively every hour of the day to avoid disruption" next week.

Unions are planning strike action next Thursday 12 November - the same day as the EU summit in Dublin - an issue which will also impact on schools, hospitals and other facilities.

Asked if the issue must be resolved this weekend to allow time for people to plan for any strike action, the Tánaiste said: "I'm not going to put any artificial deadline [on this], but I accept the premise of the question that the closer you get to Thursday the more disruptive it gets for people.

"In a very practical sense parents will want to know if their kids are going to school, people will want to know if their hospital appointment is going ahead, so we need to work intensively every hour of the day to avoid that disruption and I'm sure unions will work on that too.

"I certainly think there is a particularly important window available over the weekend and start of next week, I think that's logical."

The Tánaiste's comments come as trade unions and Government representatives continued engagement today with an independent group in a bid to find a pathway to talks on the ongoing public sector pay dispute.

Meetings 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 last Friday night with unions saying that a significant impasse had been reached.

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

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.

Yesterday, unions announced details of next week's planned strike.

Unlike last month's work stoppage, workers will be encouraged to march in rallies rather than stage pickets outside their workplaces.

There will be eight demonstrations across the country from 12pm to 2pm, with the largest taking place in Dublin.

This will coincide with a major meeting of world leaders in the capital as part of Ireland's EU Presidency.

It is understood the Dublin rally may involve striking workers marching from O'Connell Street to Government Buildings but the logistics of this are still being worked out.

Extensive road closures and traffic restrictions will be in place because of the European Summit.

Other rallies will be held in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Sligo, Tullamore and Letterkenny.

After next week's strike, 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.

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.