The leaders of the country’s largest public sector trade unions have written to Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers saying there is currently no basis for them to engage in a negotiation on a new public sector pay deal.
More than 100,000 public sector workers began industrial action this week in the form of a work-to-rule.
Other unions will commence similar action in the coming days ahead of a nationwide strike by public sector workers on 14 October.
Unions have accused the Government of failing to make a meaningful offer on pay following the expiration of the last public sector pay deal on 30 June.
They want an offer to be made at the outset of any negotiations.
The Government has said it is willing to enter talks, but that it will not be held to preconditions or a predetermined outcome.
Yesterday, Minister Chambers said the action is unfair on the public and unfair when the Government is willing to engage with unions either directly or through the Workplace Relations Commission.
In a letter to Mr Chambers, members of the ICTU Public Services Committee said that while they welcome indications that the door remains open to talks, they have concerns about the current negotiating framework.
“While unions don’t have any indication that cost-of-living concerns will be addressed at the outset, I regret to advise that there is currently no basis for us to engage in a negotiation,” the letter stated.
Dentists who are members of the Irish Dental Association (IDA) are to join a planned public sector strike on 14 October, marking the first time in its history the IDA has served notice of industrial action on behalf of members working in HSE public dental services.
Members employed within the HSE dental services will participate in the action, which is being held over delays in agreeing a new public sector pay deal.
In a separate ballot, members of the IDA voted “to take all necessary actions to resist and reverse any unilateral changes to the structure, governance or reporting relationships within the HSE dental service”.
Irish Dental Association CEO Fintan Hourihan stated in an address to the HSE Dental Surgeon Group AGM this evening that to support industrial action on two separate fronts represents a significant moment for the profession.
Mr Hourihan said: “It reflects a deep frustration with the ongoing challenges facing the public dental service, and especially given lessons learned from previous restructuring of the HSE in 2004 and 2011, when in both instances changes have left public service dentistry more isolated, starved of resources and increasingly understaffed.
“The strong vote on pay talks reflects also a collective determination to secure pay rises which protect our members against cost of living increases and ultimately a better future for patients and for those who provide their care.”
He added the decision to participate “in the protest by public service unions will be even more significant if we are obliged subsequently to take protective action to prevent further unilateral changes being made to the HSE public dental service”.
The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) also announced plans for industrial action.
Members will engage in a one-hour work stoppage on Monday 5 October.
“People cannot be expected to keep getting poorer in real terms while the cost of living continues to rise,” said IFUT General Secretary Frank Jones.
“Government needs to put a credible pay proposition on the table,” he added.
Contingency plans in place for AI Summit
The Government has also said contingency plans have been put in place to ensure a major summit on artificial intelligence in Dublin on 14 October will not be disrupted by such industrial action
The International AI Summit at the RDS will be one of the major flagship events of Ireland’s EU Presidency.
It will be attended by policy makers from across Europe as well as executives from some of the world’s biggest AI and tech companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft and Google.
Many of the Government workers involved in the running of the event could be engaging in industrial action as part of a planned nationwide public sector strike over delays in agreeing a new pay deal.
Minister of State for AI Niamh Smyth said she was hopeful the strike would not disrupt the AI Summit.
“We have opened the door to the unions and it remains open for further discussions,” Ms Smyth said.
She added: “We also will have members of unions in attendance as delegates and on the stage taking part in panel discussions.”
“So, while there may be a strike in place on the day, we have a contingency plan in place working with our agency’s IDA and Enterprise Ireland.
“But also I would look forward to having unions’ voices as part of this discussion on the day.”
