Over 62,000 members of Fórsa have overwhelmingly backed industrial action in pursuit of a better deal on pay, following the expiry of the previous public service pay agreement on 30th June last.
Fórsa said 96.6% of members who voted supported industrial action, on a turnout of 72.6%. The union said the result reflects strong concern among public service workers about pay, living standards and the Government’s failure to put forward a credible basis for renewed engagement.
In a letter to members issued on Wednesday, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had met to determine next steps, and that nationwide industrial action will begin from Wednesday 30th September.
Kevin added: “We will now notify employers of the ballot result and inform them that we are in an official dispute. Next week, the targeted forms of industrial action will be finalised and employers will be notified.”
Kevin said that industrial action “will aim to drive the message home to Government that it has failed to understand the problem with its own approach to negotiating a new pay deal for public service workers.”
He encouraged members to talk to colleagues, attend local information sessions and use Fórsa-provided materials to build visibility of the industrial action in their workplaces.
Industrial action by Fórsa public service members is expected to affect health, local government and education services, as well as Government departments and State agencies.
Kevin noted that: “The ballot result is an emphatic mandate from public service workers. The Government has left them with no credible option but to prepare for industrial action by failing to engage seriously on pay after the expiry of the last agreement.
“Fórsa members deliver essential services every day. They did not take this decision lightly, but they have overwhelmingly backed industrial action because the current position is not sustainable. Fórsa remains available for meaningful engagement, but Government must come forward with a credible approach to pay that properly addresses the cost pressures facing public service workers,” he said.
Members who wish to get involved in planning industrial action should contact their workplace rep or local branch committee without delay. Further information on distribution of materials will be circulated next week.
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