Ireland public sector pay talks begin at Workplace Relations Commission

Formal negotiations regarding a new public sector pay deal are set to begin at the Workplace Relations Commission in Ireland. This follows a nationwide strike involving more than 300,000 public sector workers.

A second day of planned strike action was suspended after a framework for talks was established. The agreement, reached between Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary Owen Reidy, senior civil servant Oonagh Buckley, and independent chair Kevin Foley, mandates that discussions begin with pay-related matters. This includes union claims regarding the cost of living between 2021 and 2025.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin stated that any resulting deal must represent ‘value for money’ and be affordable while providing protections for low-paid workers. Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers noted that the framework provides a basis for constructive dialogue.