Public service pay talks at the Workplace Relations Commission are at a critical juncture after 11 days of negotiations. Talks are continuing today as members receive this edition of Fórsa’s members’ news bulletin.
In a message to members issued this afternoon, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan described the talks as “lengthy, and at times heated” as the parties work through key elements of a potential deal. Kevin is leading the union side in the negotiations.
Kevin said: “A draft agreement remains possible, but the Government has yet to put forward a credible offer, and it remains to be seen whether it will do so. I will continue to push for the best deal for members, but I cannot be certain that we will reach that point this week, or indeed over the weekend.”
He advised members that the ICTU Public Services Committee will meet on Monday (2nd November) to receive a report from its officers on the public service pay talks.
If no draft agreement is available, the committee will consider a proposal for a nationwide strike on Wednesday, 11th November. The proposed strike would take the form of a demonstration in Dublin and other demonstrations in major regional locations.
At a meeting earlier this week, Fórsa’s National Executive Committee (NEC) passed a motion backing a proposal for this approach in the event of no agreement.
He added: “Members have been clear about the pressure that rising living costs are placing on their households. Unions entered these talks seeking an agreement that recognised those pressures and protected living standards. If we fail to reach an acceptable agreement by the weekend, it leaves unions with no alternative but to escalate the action.
“The scale of the planned demonstrations will give civil and public service workers an opportunity to send a visible and united message to Government. I hope that it will not come to this, and that we can reach agreement on a new deal,” he said.
Kevin added that Fórsa will update members once this week’s talks conclude, reminding members to continue to take part in the ongoing work-to-rule action, and urging members to “Stay strong, stay united.”
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