Unions warn of major strike action if pay talks fail

Unions are warning of a major strike next month if talks aimed at agreeing a new public sector pay deal fail to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

Talks are continuing at the Workplace Relations Commission today for a 10th day.

Chair of ICTU's Public Services Committee Kevin Callinan has written to his fellow union leaders convening a meeting of the Public Services Committee on Monday to receive a report on the pay talks.

"In the event of no draft agreement being available, (members will) consider a proposal to hold a nationwide strike on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, with the strike to take the form of a demonstration in Dublin and other demonstrations in major regional locations," Mr Callinan wrote.

Mr Callinan is also General Secretary of the Fórsa trade union and in a message to members he said that the Government had yet to put forward a credible offer in the pay talks "and it remains to be seen whether it will do so".

He described the talks as "lengthy, and at times heated".

"I will continue to push for the best deal for members, but I cannot be certain that we will reach that point this week, or indeed over the weekend," Mr Callinan said.

He added: "If we fail to reach an acceptable agreement by the weekend, it leaves unions with no alternative but to escalate the action."

"The scale of the planned demonstrations will give civil and public service workers an opportunity to send a visible and united message to Government. I hope that it will not come to this, and that we can reach agreement on a new deal."

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

Public sector workers including teachers, nurses and doctors, took part in the strike on 14 October - in the biggest day of national strike action since the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash.

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

Yesterday, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris said he was hopeful the talks would conclude in the coming days and that there would be an agreement.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Brock, Mr Harris said: "I'm hopeful that in the coming days we can see a conclusion and a new public sector pay agreement.

"That's really what everybody is working to try and achieve."

He said there is "really intensive engagement with the Congress of Trade Unions" and representative bodies, adding "let's try and get that done in the next couple of days".