Ireland to Host EU Summit During Public Sector Strike
Forsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan says unions moved the walkout to Thursday to avoid further disruption in schools.
By James Anderson ·
Ireland will host a major European political summit on Thursday, November 12, the same day public sector workers are scheduled to strike. The European Political Community meeting brings together heads of state and government in Dublin. This timing has drawn attention because the strike overlaps with the ninth EPC gathering.
Forsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan discussed the date selection on The Claire Byrne Show. He stated that the action was originally set for Wednesday, November 11. Affiliate unions, particularly those in the education sector, raised concerns about that date. They noted that a Wednesday strike would affect job sharing arrangements and school activities.
Callinan explained that the date change to Thursday was a response to those specific operational impacts. He said, "What happened was we had originally decided it was going to be Wednesday of next week [November 11] and a number of the affiliate unions, particularly in the education sector, pointed out that another Wednesday had particular impacts for job shares and for school activities. And for that reason, the idea of a change of date came on the table."
He acknowledged that the coincidence with the EU event may be interpreted as a strategic move. Callinan said he chaired the meeting where the decision was made and described it as a simple choice between Wednesday and Thursday. He accepted that the public might view the timing as deliberate. He added, "I'm not going to pretend that people aren't angry. I want to deliver a message to the government. We will do that."
Callinan emphasized that public servants intend to conduct the strike peacefully. He said, "Public servants are responsible people. We will do that in a peaceful way. But we want to make sure that the government understand." The unions aim to communicate their demands clearly during the work stoppage.
Rallies are planned across the country alongside the strike action. The largest demonstration is expected to take place in the capital. The EU meeting involves informal political and strategic discussions among leaders of key European and international institutions.
The strike follows previous walkouts in the public sector. The date of November 12 was selected to avoid repeating a Wednesday disruption while maintaining pressure on the government. The overlapping high-level event adds a layer of visibility to the industrial action.
