Meetings on structure of public sector pay talks to begin

Meetings are set to begin this weekend to establish a structure for public sector pay talks, following an announcement that an independent third party, Kevin Foley, will help construct a basis for formal negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Foley, a former Chair of the Labour Court and current Chair of the WRC, will be assisted by ICTU General Secretary Owen Reidy and Oonagh Buckley, Secretary General of the Department of the Environment.

The meetings will involve all sides in the dispute and aim to create a framework for pay negotiations at the WRC. While a 24-hour strike initially planned for Wednesday has been suspended, industrial action in the form of a work-to-rule will continue across the public sector. Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan expressed his concerns about cost-of-living pressures affecting his members and noted that the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, has taken their concerns seriously.

The Taoiseach hopes the initiative will facilitate meaningful negotiation and a successful conclusion, while Fórsa's Callinan and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers both expressed confidence in the potential for progress through dialogue.

Brief written by urgent.news from RTE News's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.