"Significant" pay demand likely in public sector

State sector trade union members are currently being balloted over a new three-year agreement worth 12.8%. The major part (8.17%.) will be spent on general wage increases while 2.2% has been set aside as “pool funding” for other improvements. In addition to this, the regulator mechanism (which ensures a parallel wage development between the public and private sector) and local wage developments will account for 2.23% of the increase. A new element is compensation to state employees for the growth in fringe/staff benefits in the private sector. This is set at 0.2% and means that the wage

Trade unions representing over 430,000 municipal workers have come together to call for a significant pay rise for their members. The unions argue that public sector workers were negatively affected by the competitiveness pact agreed in 2016 with cuts to holiday entitlement. The sector has also seen massive cuts, including job losses, and that a pay freeze would be totally unacceptable. The unions argue that a pay rise is necessary and would mean a major boost for the economy.

Three trade unions were set to take 48-hour strike action as of 15 October in protest at the government's refusal to ensure a fair pay deal for all public sector workers. The SFR, SLFÍ and LL trade unions, part of the BSRB public services federation, have been calling for their members to get a pay deal comparable to the one already covering other groups of public sector workers. Nurses, prison staff and other public administration workers will join the strike while the police are also affected by the differential treatment. The unions have already set dates for four further 48-hour strikes in