ICTU to weigh November public service strike if pay deal stalls

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) will meet on Monday, 2 November to decide whether to call a nationwide public‑service strike on 11 November if no pay agreement is reached.

Pay negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission are ongoing, but as of Friday morning no deal had been secured, according to the Irish Examiner. Sources described the situation as “touch and go”.

In a letter seen by the newspaper, ICTU chair Kevin Callinan wrote to the union’s Public Services Committee that the committee would convene at 10 am on 2 November for an update on the talks. Should a draft agreement be unavailable, the committee will consider a proposal for a strike the following Wednesday.

The proposed action would include a demonstration in Dublin and additional demonstrations in major regional locations. If it proceeds, the strike would occur the day before European leaders arrive in Dublin for a European Political Community meeting, the flagship event of Ireland’s EU presidency.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Sima Ghaffarzadeh / Pexels.