The independent group trying to settle Ireland's public sector pay dispute is still in the room. The Department of Public Expenditure said on Thursday that the mediators are continuing to engage with both sides. Unions and government representatives held separate talks with them on Wednesday. Further discussions could follow in the coming days. The strike date has not moved.
About 300,000 public servants are still due to stop work for 24 hours on Thursday 12 November. That is the opening day of a European leaders' meeting in Dublin during Ireland's EU Presidency. Kevin Callinan, general secretary of Forsa and chair of the ICTU Public Services Committee, has said the date was chosen for logistical reasons, not to collide with the summit. A rally in Dublin and smaller rallies around the country are planned. After that, unions say they will intensify a work-to-rule already under way. Callinan has raised the prospect of rolling strikes in individual sectors.
The offer that was rejected
Engagement is being chaired by Kevin Foley of the Workplace Relations Commission, in a government-appointed group that began this work on Tuesday. Wednesday's round did not produce a new number. Unions rejected a government offer of 7.75 per cent over two and a half years, including 1.75 per cent from 1 November 2026, a further 5 per cent through 2027 and 2028, and 1 per cent for local bargaining. They want a better deal than the last agreement, which was worth 10.25 per cent over two and a half years and expired at the end of June. Talks at the WRC adjourned last Friday with unions calling the gap a significant impasse.
Where the Dispute Stands
- Separate meetings with mediators took place on Wednesday.
- The Department says engagement continues. More talks may follow within days.
- The rejected offer is 7.75 per cent over two and a half years.
- The previous deal was 10.25 per cent and expired at the end of June.
- A 24-hour strike on 12 November still covers about 300,000 staff.
Seven days to a summit and a stoppage
A first national strike, on 14 October, was the largest of its kind since the years after the 2008 crash. A second was suspended so that talks could resume. The work-to-rule did not stop. Schools, hospitals and government offices are now looking at a second full day, this time with European leaders in the city. The date was moved from 11 November to the 12th at the start of the week. Nothing said on Thursday puts it back.
Foley's group can still table another meeting before then. Unions say they remain available for a credible offer. The government says the process has not ended. Between those two sentences sits a week, a pay gap of a few percentage points, and a strike that would shut a large part of the Irish state on the morning the Presidency wants the cameras pointed at a summit.