Thousands of public sector workers all around the country are striking today. Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie
LiveStrike Day
It’s the largest strike Ireland has seen in 17 years.
A WIDESPREAD PUBLIC sector strike is taking place today as workers protest for a new pay deal between their unions and the government.
Many public services will be unavailable or interrupted today.
All non-urgent healthcare services are cancelled, schools are shut, and administrative work at government departments and local authorities will not be done.
It’s the largest strike Ireland has seen in more than 17 years, with unions suggesting that the amount of people taking industrial action today could number around 400,000.
Follow along with The Journal as we bring you live updates about the strike.
13 mins ago 7:30AM
Why are workers striking?
As you can probably guess, the reason for the strike ultimately comes down to pay.
Specifically, it relates to the government and unions failing to reach an agreement on a new public sector pay deal since the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 expired in June.
Budget 2027 allocated funding of €1.2 billion for a new agreement.
However, unions are looking for a new pay deal that will increase pay at a rate that beats inflation.
Inflation is currently running at 4.1% and union sources have told The Journal that although different unions have different expectations, the lowest they will accept is a 5% increase. They described the budget offering as an “insult”.
There was speculation in recent days about whether the planned strike would go ahead or not, but D-Day has arrived and the strike is very much on.
On her way into the office, my colleague Sophie noticed that there was more litter on South Great George’s Street in Dublin than usual.
Dublin City Council staff have been striking since midnight, and the council warned yesterday that litter and waste are “likely to build up across the city”.
32 mins ago 7:12AM
GOOD MORNING from The Journal.
Traffic was lighter than usual heading in to Dublin city centre this morning.
Around the country, thousands of public sector workers are striking today, preparing to head to pickets to voice their discontent at the absence of a new public sector pay deal since the previous one expired earlier this year.
We’ll have all the updates you need throughout the day.