In brief
More than 300,000 nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants are participating in a nationwide 24‑hour strike over a pay dispute with the government, with another round expected on 21 October. Schools risk closure and hospitals face cancelled appointments amid picket lines across the Republic. The action follows weeks of work‑to‑rule measures and is supported by an overwhelming majority of Fórsa members, the largest public‑sector union. Government officials have condemned the strike, citing significant economic disruption.
More than 300,000 workers, including nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants, are on strike across the Republic of Ireland.
It comes amid an ongoing pay dispute between public sector workers and the Irish government, with a further strike planned on 21 October.
It is expected schools could be closed with hospital appointments cancelled and picket lines formed across the country during the 24‑hour strike.
At the end of September, more than 100,000 workers, including nurses, school staff and civil servants, moved to work‑to‑rule measures.
At the start of October, primary and secondary school teachers in the Republic began work‑to‑rule action.
Almost 97% of Fórsa members, the Republic’s biggest public service union, voted in favour of action.
According to Brendan O’Brien, SIPTU divisional organiser, the “goodwill” of workers was a large part of keeping public services running, but the government’s failure to set up formal talks forced the move to collective action.
Minister for Expenditure Jack Chambers called the strike “deeply disappointing” and warned it would disrupt the economy, with thousands of hospital appointments cancelled and schools closed.
Dawn Hutchings‑Walsh, a teacher at Hartstown Community School, said that pay is not keeping up with living costs. Her colleague Sinéad McCarthy had to move to Dubai to save for a house. Linda Kelly, general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, described teachers as “really struggling” and expressed disappointment at the government’s lagging response.
