Government‑appointed group asked to resolve public‑sector pay impasse

A Government‑appointed group has been asked to help resolve the public sector pay dispute after negotiations reached an impasse.

Talks aimed at settling the dispute ended without agreement late on Friday night, prompting unions to consider a further day of nationwide strike action. On Saturday the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) said that after ten days of intensive talks it believed certain issues had reached an impasse and requested the Government‑appointed group consider those issues and propose a resolution.

The WRC added that the Government remains committed to a fair and credible pay deal for public‑service workers that is affordable and sustainable for the country, while all other matters under discussion will remain with the WRC.

Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers struck nationwide in October. A planned repeat strike was suspended to facilitate talks with the Department of Public Expenditure, but is now back under consideration. The Public Services Committee (PSC) of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is due to meet on Monday to consider a further nationwide strike on Wednesday, 11 November.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said talks at the WRC, which began on 19 October, had at times been “heated”. He warned unions would have “no alternative but to escalate the action” if an agreement was not reached by the weekend. A union spokesperson said an impasse had been reached and it was not possible to negotiate an agreement that could be confidently put to members in a ballot.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Paolo T / Pexels.