No Word On Pay Increases For Section 10,39,40 and 56

In May this year SIPTU, INMO and Forsa union members who work providing vital services including care for the disabled, elderly, homeless and youth supports in Section 39, 40, 56 and 10 organisations voted for Workplace Relations Commission pay proposals.

The proposal saw workers get just 2.25% for 2024, 1% in April 2025, another 2% in November and 2% in April 2026 followed by another 2% in October of that year.

That means a total of 3% in 2025 when rents have increased massively and food inflation is nearly 5% a year. The deal was accepted by 87% of workers in SIPTU but rejected by 13%.

Workers are desperate for any pay rise they can get.

But now the unions are having to go back to the Workplace Relations Commission because the pay rises haven’t materialised. A statement from SIPTU said: “We have no definitive information on when members can expect to receive the agreed increases in pay.”

Workers in these government funded agencies should be treated as public servants and deserve to be properly paid for the vital work that they do.

Neoliberal policy has seen the state farm out more and more of this kind of work to NGOs, agencies and charities. That way the state can keep these workers at arms length.

Strike action by these workers would have massive public support. While the government and the departments drag their feet, workers are desperate to know how they’re going to pay their bills.

But to get unions that fight we need rank and file workers across every union to come together and coordinate. That’s the only way we’ll get the fightback we need.