Wednesday 14th of October was a momentous day. That is down to you. Every picket shift, every chant, every extra effort has shown that civil and public servants have a voice and that voice was heard loud and clear.
The vast breadth of work undertaken by our members was clear in every town and city. In Dublin city centre there was practically a picket on every corner. Walking around Dublin on Wednesday you could barely go 20 yards without meeting Fórsa members on the picket. Everywhere you could hear cars beeping, whistles ringing and chants resonating through the air. It was the same across all cities and towns in the country.
On the airwaves and online, members spoke movingly about their decision to strike. Local authorities were closed, schools fell silent, hospitals ran reduced rosters, state agencies stood shut, and the wheels of the civil service slowed to a stop.
Starting at midnight in Dublin Port, members from over 7000 workplaces where Fórsa is active, began pickets, which ran throughout the day.
Standing together, with members from other public sector unions, we spoke as one sending the clearest message possible to Government: we are the backbone of this country, and we can’t be taken for granted.
There have only been three strikes like this in my working life and yesterday was by far and away the most coordinated and visible one.
The vast breadth of work done by civil and public servants is often invisible, but on Wednesday it was visible for everyone to see. By withdrawing your labour, you made the impact and importance of your work impossible to ignore.
Support from the wider public boosted morale and resolve. It also clearly showed that they understand you are standing up for all people, because everyone relies on work you do, and everyone is impacted by the cost of living crisis, regardless of what sector they work in.
The officers of the Public Services Committee of ICTU met yesterday afternoon (Thursday) and reviewed developments to date. We remain committed to achieving the best deal for members, and as I have said, we are available for talks where commitments can be given that the impact of the cost-of-living on members pay is addressed from the outset.
For now, the work to rule continues and planning for next Wednesday remains a priority. The national strike on the 21st of October will involve pickets being placed on workplaces across the country. This is likely to involve a rally for all those in Dublin and neighbouring counties. The details will be finalised over the weekend and notified on Monday.
To go on strike is to be part of organised, democratic people power. It’s a step that no one takes without thinking very seriously about the impact it will have. I know our members are proud of their work and that it wasn’t easy to stay away for a day, or to lose pay. So well done to each and every one of you, for being part of this action, for standing up for your pay, your colleagues and your community. We should all be proud of the positive, peaceful and powerful stance we took on Wednesday.
Stay strong, stay united,
Kevin Callinan,
General Secretary
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