Irish minister offers pay talks but unions proceed with major strikes

Irish Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers has said that pay can be discussed first with trade unions as part of ongoing public sector pay disputes, the Irish Examiner reported. Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time, Chambers stated that pay could be a priority if trade unions engaged with the government. However, trade unions responded that the comments came too late, and confirmed that strikes scheduled for Wednesday will proceed, according to the Irish Examiner. [1]

The upcoming industrial action is set to be the largest in Ireland since the 2009 economic crash, the Irish Independent reported. The Irish Independent also reported that a union leader described a 1.2 billion euro offer for the public sector as a real terms pay cut. Chambers made a last ditch attempt to avert the dispute by inviting union representatives for talks at the Workplace Relations Commission, according to the Irish Independent. [2][3][4]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, including doctors, nurses, and teachers, are set to participate in the industrial action. The planned strike is expected to cause school closures, hospital appointment cancellations, and widespread disruption to public services and the Dáil. [7][8]

Chambers has served as the Irish Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation since January 2025. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency since 2016 and the deputy leader of Fianna Fáil since 2024. [5]