SIPTU members in the public service have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over Government failure to enter pay talks. SIPTU announced today that members voted 97% in favour of strike action and 98% for industrial action.
The previous public service agreement expired in June and the Government has failed to make any meaningful offer of pay increase for public sector workers.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said:
“I welcome the news that SIPTU members in the public sector have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. It follows a similar vote by Unite members announced on Thursday and Fórsa is expected to announce its public sector pay ballot result tomorrow.
“Public sector pay is being eroded by inflation and workers are facing a cost-of-living crisis that is getting worse by the week. People are struggling to just survive.
“Earlier today the CSO estimated inflation rose again to 3.4% in August. It estimated that energy prices increased by 4.3% in August and are 12% higher than in August last year.
“This can’t go on. There is huge anger among ordinary people that the Government is out of touch on the cost of living crisis and does not care about the suffering of ordinary people.
“We need pay increases to restore real wages, price controls on energy and essential goods, restoration of energy credits, and other meaningful measures to make a real cost of living difference to workers and their families.
“People have seen that the fuel price protests in April forced concessions from the Government, concessions that were extended by the Government last week in fear of renewed protests.
“People can see very clearly that protest works. In fact, they can see that it is the only thing that will make the Government act to reduce the cost of living.
“People Before Profit urges people to pile the pressure on the Government by turning out in their thousands at the Affordable Ireland Campaign protest at 1pm on Saturday, 19th September at Parnell Square in Dublin.”