Members of the Irish Federation of University Teachers preparing to take industrial action this week. Tommy Clancy
Explainer
Which services will be impacted, which won’t and why is the action happening in the first place?
MAJOR DISRUPTION TO services is expected across the country on Wednesday as workplaces close in the largest public sector strike since the height of the financial crisis in 2009.
Wednesday’s strike is set to go ahead after trade union leaders on Monday rejected the government’s offer of Workplace Relations Commission talks.
The strike is part of wider industrial action which began on 30 September amid a dispute over pay after the collective pay agreement covering public sector workers expired in June.
A second strike day is scheduled for Wednesday 21 October if required.
Some union figures have warned that 400,000 workers could be striking; 385,000 workers are covered by the now-expired pay agreement, but not all are legally entitled to strike.
Here’s everything you need to know about who is striking on Wednesday, who isn’t, and why it’s happening in the first place.
Why is this happening?
The strike is taking place because of a failure to agree on a new public sector pay deal.
The Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 expired in June and a new agreement has not been reached.
Funding of €1.2 billion was allocated in Budget 2027 for a new agreement, and the government has said it remains committed to engaging in substantive talks with unions.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said in the aftermath of the budget that the money allocated is not the sum total, adding that there are reserves available.
However, Tom Fitzgerald, deputy regional secretary of trade union Unite, warned the dispute will “escalate further” unless the government comes to the table with an inflation-beating pay offer.
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”.
Pointing to a €1.6 billion unallocated discretionary fund highlighted by The Irish Times, union sources said that putting this toward the public sector could offer a way out for the government.
Who’s striking and what will be closed?
Many workers are engaging in an all-out strike where workplaces will be closed; however, some have been given a derogation – a strike exemption – to allow them to carry out essential work such as emergency care.
Among the striking workers are nurses, consultants, teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs), firefighters, prison officers and dentists.
Hospitals and emergency services
In the health sector, 11,000 workers across 30 hospitals will engage in the strike, which the HSE has warned will cause “significant and widespread disruption” to many services.
Consultants and public and community health doctors represented by the Irish Medical Organisation will be striking. However, members of the main union representing consultants, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, will not be striking.
Nurses and midwives will take part in the strike, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said. The Psychiatric Nurses Association, which represents nurses working in mental health, intellectual disability and other specialist services, has confirmed that its members will also take part.
Trade union Siptu has confirmed that its members in the sector, including all support staff and those in the National Ambulance Service, will take part. Public service union Fórsa members in the sector are also to strike.
Health and Social Care Professionals who form the second-largest clinical group in the Irish health service will also be taking part in the strike.
Dentists working in the HSE will also join the stoppage. This is the first time in history the Irish Dental Association has served notice of industrial action.
An HSE spokesperson told The Journal that the HSE is planning for the cancellation of all non-urgent healthcare services across hospitals and community settings.
This includes routine hospital procedures, outpatient appointments, community-based services, such as day services, clinics in primary care services and other scheduled care services. HSE administrative services will also be impacted by the strike.
Emergency departments and other critical, time-sensitive healthcare services, such as urgent cancer treatment and dialysis, will continue. Ambulance services will continue with a curtailed service.
GPs, GP out-of-hours and pharmacists remain available in the community.
Siptu has said fire brigades will operate with reduced service on Wednesday.
Prison officers will also be mounting pickets outside individual prisons and civilians employed by An Garda Síochána will picket outside Garda Headquarters in Dublin.
Schools and colleges
Primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, SNAs and lecturers will take part in the strike.
The strike will be a full-day work stoppage and schools will be closed. Pickets will be placed outside schools.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), which represents about 50,000 teachers at primary level in the Republic of Ireland, said some schools may remain open to staff, but that depends on the decision of the board of management of each individual school.
The arrangements for third-level institutions differ.
Trinity College Dublin has said the campus will be accessible to staff, students and residents, but no teaching or events will take place. However, the National College of Ireland said it will operate as normal and all classes and scheduled activities will go ahead.
Government offices
Administrative staff across government departments, state agencies and local council workers will take part in the strike, causing the shutdown of many state bodies.
Fórsa said local authorities will provide cover in the event of emergencies such as storm damage or flooding but Dublin City Council has warned that litter could “build up” as staff will not be engaging in waste management.
Union sources have told The Journal disruption in major transport hubs such as Dublin Airport and Dublin Port is likely.
Fórsa members who work for Revenue, the Department of Agriculture and the HSE who work at Dublin Port will be picketing outside the port. A spokesperson for the port said it “remains fully operational and contingency arrangements are in place to manage traffic and minimise disruption”.
A spokesperson for Rosslare Europe said the port will be operational, and all shipping lines are continuing to operate. It said freight and passenger customers should keep in touch with their shipping lines for service arrangements.
The Department of Social Protection has not confirmed if offices will remain open; it previously said it has sought a derogation from unions. However, union officials have said offices are unlikely to open.
All Revenue public information offices will also be closed on Wednesday as a result of the strike, with phone services also impacted.
The Courts Service said courts will be cancelled on Wednesday and public counter service will not be available, except for:
- Emergency domestic violence and childcare applications
- An Garda Síochána applications to remand an accused person in custody where station bail has not been granted; and
- In the High Court to deal with injunctions to protect life, health, safety or welfare.
- District Courts are automatically adjourned to the next sitting in the same District Court district, except where the judge assigned to the district specifically adjourns the court to a different day.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has confirmed that some driving tests scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled. It said affected customers will be contacted directly.
A Fórsa spokesperson said offices of public employment service Intreo will also be closed.
All heritage sites, parklands and gardens operated by the Office of Public Works (OPW) will remain closed to the public and visitors on Wednesday.
The only exception is the Phoenix Park, where roads will be open; however, visitor facilities in the park will be closed.
The National Library has said that its buildings on Kildare Street will be closed to the public, including all reading rooms. Meanwhile, the National Concert Hall will be closed to the public and events have been rescheduled.
There will also be a picket line at Leinster House, and there will be no Dáil sitting. The Dáil’s Business Committee agreed to adopt a two-day sitting schedule this week, with proceedings taking place today and Thursday.
Union sources have told The Journal that it’s unclear yet how much the private sector will be impacted by the strike. There may be disruptions at workplaces which employ publicly contracted staff as well as private staff, as private staff may choose not to cross picket lines.
An Post workers are not part of tomorrow’s strike; however, the Communication Workers’ Union, which represents workers in the tech, postal and telecommunications sector, has advised members not to cross picket lines.
The Department of Agriculture told The Journal that meat factories with a permanent department staff presence should not slaughter animals on Wednesday if veterinary and technical duties can’t be carried out to meet legislative requirements. Meat processing plants producing products eligible for US export also cannot operate.
What won’t be impacted?
Public transport services across the Transport For Ireland network, which includes buses, Dart, Luas and rail, are also expected to operate as normal on Wednesday.
As previously mentioned, GPs and the majority of consultants will not be taking part in strikes.
An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces cannot legally engage in strike action and therefore will not be involved in the industrial action.
Commercial semi-state companies such as the ESB will not be part of next week’s strikes. Section 39 organisations, which are charities and voluntary bodies that receive funding from the state, are also not striking as they are employed under different terms to public service workers.