Government is 'playing a game of chicken' with unions as strike approaches

LAST UPDATE | 13 Oct

OPPOSITION TDS HAVE accused the government of “playing a game of chicken” with unions amid the ongoing public pay dispute.

More than 300,000 public sector workers are set to go on strike on Wednesday, the largest number since the height of the financial crisis in 2009.

Opposition parties maintained that the government failed to engage with unions before the previous pay agreement expired. 

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told Taoiseach Micheál Martin he had “four months to engage in meaningful negotiations” and that the country was now “at the 11th hour, on the brink of strike action”.

Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan echoed the criticism, describing the government’s approach as “a game of chicken going right down to the wire”.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik accused the government of “recklessly” allowing the previous pay deal to expire, adding that it had done nothing to address the impact of rising inflation on workers.

McDonald urged the government to make pay the “priority and first item on the agenda” in negotiations.

Martin reiterated that the government had offered unions “enhanced social dialogue”, insisting that a “platform exists for negotiation”.

He also pointed to budget measures aimed at easing the cost-of-living pressures, including changes to income tax and childcare costs.

Strike action will bring ‘unnecessary disruption’

Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has said the upcoming strike will cause “unnecessary” and “unfair” disruption.

Speaking at Government Buildings today, Chambers said that continuing to pursue industrial action is going to cause “significant disruption to many people across the country”.

“I think it’s really unfair to the public that we’ve trade union leadership unwilling to talk, and I want to have constructive and meaningful discussions with trade unions and give a fair, meaningful public sector pay deal to workers as well,” he added.

He reiterated that this year’s budget has made provisions for a public sector pay deal and the government wants “to honour that through constructive discussions”.

Chambers appealed to unions to “avoid this unnecessary disruption and get around the table as quickly as possible to resolve this matter”.

Among the striking workers are nurses, consultants, teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs), firefighters, prison officers and dentists. A full list is available here. 

Chambers is telling colleagues of his department’s “substantial efforts” to engage in talks with public sector unions.

This included officials meeting with ICTU on 12 occasions during 2026, with two meetings taking place since the expiry of the deal in June.

Jack Chambers at government buildings today Rolling News

Ministers will hear how Chambers has written to unions twice in the past two weeks, including on Monday, when it was reiterated that all issues raised by unions, including pay, could be discussed.

A government memo will outline some of the anticipated impacts of the strike, including cancellation of outpatient hospital appointments and non-emergency procedures, as well as the closure of most schools, colleges and universities.

Ministers will also be warned about the impact on the wider economy, and especially smaller businesses, as parents may have to take leave to look after children.

A statement is expected to be agreed at Cabinet, and it is expected to express the government’s disappointment with unions’ repeated rejection of talks.

It is understood that it will also highlight measures in Budget 2027 that the government feels will help to address cost-of-living challenges, including an income tax package and a provision of €1.2 billion for a new deal.

Martin said that “there is a strong foundation laid by the budget and other measures to facilitate productive negotiations on a new national pay agreement”.

However, unions have continued to argue that the provision is insufficient to protect workers’ incomes against rising living costs.