Forsa warns of rolling strikes if Irish public sector pay talks fail
Union leader Kevin Callinan says one-day walkouts may give way to rotating groups of workers taking time off in key sectors.
By Emily Brooks ·
Almost 300,000 public and civil servants in Ireland are currently involved in a pay dispute that threatens further disruption after a national strike scheduled for Thursday, November 12th.
Kevin Callinan, the general secretary of the Fórsa union, warned that the single-day walkout is likely to be the last of its kind if the government and unions do not reach an agreement. He said 1 on Wednesday that his organization is considering a strategy of rolling local and sectoral disruption.
Callinan explained that Fórsa is looking at using its strike fund to pay members who take a full week off work. He said the union could rotate these paid leave periods, potentially sending 1,000 members from one area on strike in a given week and a different group of 1,000 from another area the following week.
This approach would allow various unions to act independently within specific departments, including education, health, social protection, and local government. Callinan noted that this method could cause substantial and ongoing disruption to public services if the current impasse continues.
Public sector unions have already rejected a government pay offer of 7.75 percent over two and a half years. The upcoming strike on November 12th coincides with a meeting of the European Political Community in Ireland, which also hosts an informal gathering of European leaders.
Negotiations continue as both sides meet separately with a steering committee chaired by Kevin Foley, chairman of the Workplace Relations Commission. Callinan described the government’s current proposal, which includes 6.75 percent plus 1 percent for local bargaining, as not credible. He argued that with inflation running at 4 percent or higher, the proposed pay rise would be wiped out during the 30-month agreement period.
Callinan said public servants do not want to be striking, particularly parents who must manage childcare during work stoppages. He declined to specify the exact minimum pay increase required for a deal, stating that Workplace Relations Commission officials are broadly aware of the figure needed to settle the dispute.
