Message to government clear: No more business as usual

Posted on October 14, 2026 by unitetheunion

Inflation-beating pay rise must be front and centre of any new public sector deal

Private sector workers must also organise to defend living standards

Trade union Unite, which represents public sector workers in a range of workplaces, has said that today’s strong and united picket lines demonstrate the determination of workers to defend their living standards going forward.

Speaking from the picket line at Trinity College Dublin, the union’s Irish Secretary Susan Fitzgerald warned the government against attempting to short-change workers in any talks on a new public sector deal:

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Unite public sector members set for picket lines tomorrow

Posted on October 13, 2026 by unitetheunion

Strike reflects workers’ frustrations at cost-of-living pressures and broken promises

Government must gain workers’ trust

As Unite members in the public sector prepare to take to the picket lines across the country tomorrow, the union said that the strike reflects workers’ frustration at cost-of-living pressures and the government’s failure to honour previous commitments.  Unite also panned today’s government statement which the union said once again failed to address workers’ demands.

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Public Sector: Unite finalises plans for Wednesday strike

Posted on October 12, 2026 by unitetheunion

Minister’s eleventh-hour letter “written with eye to media rather than eye to workers”

Government inaction forcing workers onto picket lines

Unite, which represents public sector workers across Ireland, today held a meeting of the union’s National Dispute Committee to finalise plans for Wednesday’s national strike. The dispute committee comprises Unite shop stewards from across the public sector.

Unite public sector members in a range of workplaces – including local authority personnel, college lecturers, ambulance workers, hospital support staff and many more – will be among the hundreds of thousands of workers taking strike action.

Members are also preparing for a further stoppage on 21 October if the government does not make unions an inflation-beating pay offer. The public services committee of the ICTU, to which Unite is affiliated, is clear that this afternoon’s letter from minister Jack Chambers does not provide a basis for Wednesday’s action to be postponed.

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Government betrays lowest-paid by scrapping ‘living wage’ pledge

Posted on October 7, 2026 by unitetheunion

Move highlights need for collective bargaining legislation

Unite, which represents workers throughout the economy, today (Wednesday) blasted the government’s decision to scrap plans for a statutory ‘living wage’ to replace the current national minimum wage. The introduction of a new ‘living wage’ equating to 60 per cent of median earnings was originally scheduled for 2026.  The timeline was then pushed out to 2029. (See notes for editors regarding low pay definitions.)

Today, in a statement published on the Department of Enterprise website, the government abandoned its living wage timeline altogether.

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Budget 2027: Workers running to stand still as wealthiest win

Posted on October 6, 2026 by unitetheunion

Subsidising high prices no substitute for addressing costs at source

Government accused of ‘megaphone bargaining’ on public sector pay

Unite, which represents workers across the economy, said today (Tuesday) that Budget 2027 represents a giveaway to the wealthiest while workers run to stand still.

As workers face spiralling housing costs, Unite said that the government’s focus on subsidising high prices and incentivising private landlords – including shack-in-the-back landlords – is no substitute for a housing policy driven by public provision and focused on affordability.

The union also slammed the government’s decision to prioritise giveaways for the wealthy rather than measures such as a wealth tax which could help wean the public finances off transitory corporation taxes paid by a handful of multinationals.

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