Red Statement: Public Pay Deal - Vote For Action, Then Follow It Up!

SIPTU announced on Monday that they will be balloting members for industrial action over government inaction on public sector pay talks. Other unions representing public sector workers will shortly follow suit. Union conferences this year have been dominated by motions and debates around the upcoming public pay agreement negotiations.

While the government plays hard ball, workers have been demanding above inflation pay after a succession of pay deals delivered pay increases well below inflation, leaving us worse off and the union leaders are now surely feeling the pressure from grassroots members to deliver with this new deal.

Union bosses are talking tough in the media but every pay agreement so far has been a terrible deal for workers with every pay increase well below inflation rates effectively meaning we have taken a pay cut. The government knows this and has the measure of the union leaders. That’s why they’re playing hard ball.

There are recruitment and retention issues across the public sector and the cost of living is a major factor. Over 3,000 Irish teachers are working in places like Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Tusla has more than 850 posts vacant and it is estimated that there are more than 6,200 people waiting for home support due to a shortage of care workers.

The unions’ own research has shown that health care workers are at breaking point with half “almost” or “always” feeling burnt out and 67% of health care workers actively considering quitting their jobs. Workers have borne the brunt of four decades of neoliberal cuts, outsourcing and increased bureaucracy in the public sector.

The leadership of the unions that represent public sector workers like SIPTU, Fórsa and the INMO have backed down from confronting the government in each important dispute over the last few years. Yet ordinary union members have the heart to fight for a better deal. Workers are willing to fight.

Fórsa surveyed their members in April 2023 and of the 20,000 responses they found 95% in favour of “Fórsa organising a ballot for industrial action if negotiated increases are below the rate of inflation.” They then went on to negotiate a pay deal in 2024 well below inflation and without putting up a fight.

Minister Jack Chambers is responsible for dealing with the public sector pay deals. As the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, he is the government’s lead minister responsible for negotiating with the trade unions. Allowing him to act like he has a strong hand when workers can shut the entire public sector down is laughable.

The leaders of our unions enjoy a take home pay way above the average worker and as a consequence their class interests are more aligned with the very people they are negotiating with. Time after time they have called a halt to strike action (School secretaries & caretakers) or halted other forms of industrial action (2025 health care work to rule) in order to enter talks that don’t deliver.

This government does not fear workers and this time has to be different. We must now as workers and members of our unions put pressure on our officials and leaders to not just posture to get these talks moving but to follow through with concrete action including strike action. Vote for action, follow through.