Public service strike 'can be avoided', says minister
Public sector unions in Ireland are planning large-scale strike action for October 14th following a dispute over pay offers. Government ministers are urging unions to return to negotiations, while opposition politicians criticize the government's handling of the cost-of-living crisis.
Why it matters
The strike represents the largest industrial action in Ireland since the 2008 economic crash, potentially disrupting essential public services.
Wednesday's strike by public service workers "can still be avoided", the Minister for Higher Education has said, asking unions to engage and "come to the table with a blank sheet of paper."
Public sector unions have accused the Government of failing to make a meaningful offer on pay and are planning large-scale strike action on 14 October.
More than 300,000 public sector workers including teachers, nurses and doctors, are to take action on Wednesday - in the biggest day of national strike action since the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash.
SIPTU has also announced further strike action for all public sector workplaces for 21 October.
Speaking this morning on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics, Minister James Lawless said there had been meaningful interventions of late, citing a €750 tax cut in the Budget and €1.2 billion set aside for a public sector pay deal.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in