Only a ‘substantive and substantial proposition’ from government has any prospect of bringing resolution of dispute into view – Nash

Only a ‘substantive and substantial proposition’ from government has any prospect of bringing resolution of dispute into view – Nash - The Labour Party

• Labour motion on public pay to be debated in Dáil tomorrow (Thursday)

Labour finance spokesperson Ged Nash TD has said that “only a substantive and substantial proposition” from government has the prospect of resolving the ongoing public sector dispute.

His call comes ahead of Labour’s Dáil motion on public pay tomorrow, Thursday 15 October.

Deputy Nash said:

“Today’s strike is the consequence of government’s manifest failure to engage meaningfully with workers and their unions, and to make a definitive move on the unequivocal prioritisation of pay and cost of living pressures.

“Ministers allowed the pay agreement to expire in June, leaving over 400,000 public sector workers without a collective pay deal, for the first time in 40 years.

“Having attended dozens of pickets in Louth today, striking workers confirmed two things to me. Firstly, that this dispute is about pay. Secondly, it is also about respect.

“It is also clear that, unless there is a dramatic shift from government, they are ready and willing to fulfil the full extent of the industrial action mandate they provided, in overwhelming fashion, to their unions.

“Tonal shifts from Minister Chambers on RTÉ tonight are all well and good, but he has a lot of work to do to establish his bona fides and trust with striking public servants.

“It is clear to me that a very substantial and substantive proposition will be required from government, and in the next 24 to 48 hours, if there is to be any prospect of the beginning of the end of this dispute coming into view.

“Government’s amendment to our motion is a joke and completely meaningless. Workers need an agreement that protects their incomes. Ministers must stop playing with words, get real and make a deal.

“Our motion tomorrow calls on Government to drop its arbitrary preconditions, engage in good faith with unions and commit to pay increases that at least match inflation.”

Labour Party Motion

re: Public Sector Pay

That Dáil Éireann –

notes that:

• the government allowed the Public Sector Pay agreement to expire in June 2026 leaving over 400,000 workers with no collective pay agreement for the first time since 2010;

• since then, across the public service, trade unions have balloted their members, and there has been overwhelming support in favour of taking industrial action;

• no provision was made in Budget 2027 for pay rises in the remainder of 2026, while inflation has reached 4.1%;

agrees that:

• it is economically and fiscally reckless for the Minister for Public Expenditure to have allowed a situation to develop where there is no pay agreement that ensures certainty for both workers and the State;

recalls that:

• the last time there was a nationwide public service strike was in 2009 under a Fianna Fáil government;

• government has repeatedly given into the demands of narrow sectoral interests and lobbyists through the last two Budgets and in response to fuel protests;

• Budget 2026 failed to index PAYE tax rates, bands and credits and the changes this year still leave workers cumulatively behind;

further recalls that:

• as part of the last pay agreement there was provision for the first phase of a 1% local bargaining increase from 1st September 2025, to be followed by 2% in the next successor agreement;

• there has been significant delays in the implementation of these agreed increases leading to growing frustration and anger in affected sectors

•  there has also been similar delays in the implementation of previous agreed commitments and Labour Court recommendations, and this has damaged trust;

recognises that:

• talks on a new agreement must clearly prioritise pay from the outset, and the government has not demonstrated a credible approach that properly addresses the growing cost-of-living pressures facing public sector workers;

regrets that:

• the Minister has resorted to lecturing public sector workers in his Budget Day speech and blaming trade unions for his failure to meaningfully engage on future pay;

• comments by the Taoiseach have further inflamed the dispute;

calls on the government to:

• drop their arbitrary preconditions and commit to engaging in good faith with the trade unions representing public sector workers;

• commit that future pay increases will, at a minimum, protect the pay of public sector workers against inflation.

Ged Nash, Ciarán Ahern, Ivana Bacik, Alan Kelly, Eoghan Kenny, George Lawlor, Robert O’Donoghue, Conor Sheehan, Marie Sherlock, Duncan Smith, Mark Wall.