Unions announce details of next public sector strike - what you need to know

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The Hard Shoulder with Ciara Kelly and Shane Colman on Newstalk with Kia.

Shane Colman (0:38)

Unions have announced details of next Thursday, this day week's planned public sector strike. Here with the details is Louise Burne, political correspondent with The Irish Examiner. A slightly different approach this time around Louise rallies rather than pickets.

Louise Burne (0:57)

Yes, and this is something that the unions had indicated that there would be a big event in Dublin and then I guess satellite rallies across the country. So what we know now is that the unions are saying that rallies will be held at eight locations across the country. So obviously Dublin, there'll be one in Waterford City, Cork City, Limerick City, Galway City, Tullamore and County Offaly, Sligo Town and Leather Kenny in County Donegal. Now Shane, this is under the assumption that the pay talks will not have wrapped up by next Friday and that that strike is going ahead. We know talks were adjourned at the Workplace Relations Commission last week with the union saying that there was an impasse on pay. The unions and government officials from the Department of Public Expenditure have been in and out last few days out of meetings with this government-appointed group who have been trying to find a pathway back to talks. Now that adjourned last night and there was no date put back in the diary for that government-appointed group to meet with the two sides again. So whether or not these rallies will go ahead, whether it will be some kind of deal struck over the weekend, I guess remains to be seen, but the unions are preparing for the rallies taking place on the day of the strike, which will see up to 300,000 public sector workers back out again.

Shane Colman (2:12)

Okay, how would you rank the chances or how do people in Leinster House rank the chances of a deal being done ahead of next Thursday?

Louise Burne (2:20)

I think there's growing hope and I think a lot of people are saying, listen, we have to get this done because don't forget as well, these strikes are due to take place on the same day as the flagship event of Ireland's EU Presidency, which is the European Political Community Meeting, and that's going to see over 50 world leaders meet in the Convention Centre in Dublin, and that's going to already create quite a lot of chaos in the city. What I thought was funny actually about this union poster confirming the location of the rallies is that they have written on it together for fair pay, ní náir ca cur le chéile, which that's the motto of the Irish EU Presidency, so a little bit of another dig there in the side.

Shane Colman (3:02)

Quite cheeky really when you think about it, isn't it?

Louise Burne (3:04)

Yeah, quite cheeky, especially when you heard Kevin Callinan earlier this week who's FORSA Chief, but he's also Chair of the ICTU Public Services Committee. He was saying that this day for the strikes was not chosen because of the European political community meeting. It was done for logistics and he kind of elaborated on that later in the week, saying that a lot of teachers had said that, listen, we did a strike on a Wednesday last time because of all different logistics and schools, but we shouldn't do it on a Wednesday this time. The government side, in fairness to them, have been trying to hold their wish and they've been trying not to pour fuel on the fire and wouldn't really bite any government sources I was speaking to when I was asking them, did they think that this date was picked because of that EPC meeting. But I think what is being said in Lancaster House is, listen, we'll see what happens over the weekend. It's been reported and it's been well fleshed out now that the offer on the table is 6.75% of a pay increase over two and a half years plus an additional 1% for local bargaining, which would bring the deal to 7.75%.

How high the government is prepared to go and how low the unions are prepared to go, I guess, is the great unknown. But the unions are also kind of playing a coy and they're just saying it's too hard to tell what's going to happen at this point. So they are preparing for strike. But I think the government will want to avoid the embarrassment of this happening on such a high-profile day for them.