Wicklow Schools, Clinics & Council Services Hit In Biggest Public Sector Strike in 15 Years

Disruption is inevitable as unions say their members don't want to impend services while the government's wait to address public sector pay row leaves the public at the mercy of withdrawn services

Schools, health clinics, council offices and State agencies across Wicklow will face disruption today as a 24-hour national public sector strike gets under way.

More than 300,000 workers, including teachers, doctors, nurses and civil servants, are due to take part.

Unions say the action is over pay, after the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 expired in June without a successor deal.

SCHOOLS

Schools, colleges and universities are all expected to close, with about 90,000 teachers due to strike.

The INTO, ASTI, TUI and IFUT are all taking part, and special needs assistants will also be on strike.

Wicklow County Childcare Committee has told providers that, according to the Department of Education, some schools are expected to close.

Providers based on school premises should check with the school’s board of management whether they can still access the building.

Parents should check directly with their school.

HEALTH

All non-urgent healthcare services and outpatient appointments in hospitals and community settings are expected to be cancelled.

Emergency departments, urgent cancer care, dialysis and GP services will be available, and ambulance services will run in a curtailed form.

About 32,000 public sector nurses are involved, HSE dentists are on strike, and about 2,000 laboratory scientists are striking too, which will delay patient tests.

SIPTU’s list of picket locations includes St Colmcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown, which many north Wicklow patients rely on.

John McCamley, SIPTU’s sector union organiser for ambulance services, who oversees Wicklow, told East Coast FM News that members in the health service are taking part across a broad range of areas.

“Either in mental health services and intellectual disability services and acute services, and obviously of course in the ambulance services as well,” he said.

COUNCIL AND LOCAL SERVICES

SIPTU says strike committees are planning pickets across local authorities including Wicklow, with the aim that no work yard is left without a picket.

Councils elsewhere have closed offices and libraries to the public, while fire services and emergency homeless services are not affected.

Wicklow County Council’s own notice wasn’t available when this was written, so residents should check its website and social media before travelling.

EVERYDAY KNOCK-ONS

All driving tests have been cancelled, and OPW heritage sites and parks are expected to close.

The Courts Service says it cannot open courts or public counters.

Gardaí and the Defence Forces are legally barred from striking, and public transport is expected to run as normal.

WHY IT’S HAPPENING

The unions say pay must be agreed before other issues are discussed. The Government has rejected that as a precondition.

Minister Jack Chambers pointed to €1.2 billion set aside in the budget for public sector pay, which unions say is far short of what is needed. The unions turned down his offer of talks at the Workplace Relations Commission.

Mr McCamley said SIPTU is striking because the Government “hasn’t been genuine in offering the real basis for talks on a new public sector agreement.” He said members feel “they’ve given and given and they’re looking now for a proper meaningful deal.”

He said unions from a range of sectors have criticised the Minister for not coming to the table enough, and described the gap between the sides as what “would appear to be a relatively minor percentage difference, but in fact it’s probably a chasm.”

“We’re looking for a genuine offer in terms of helping our members, helping with the cost of living increases and a proper deal,” he said. “Unfortunately, to date our members have been left waiting by the inactions of this government.”

He said no one wants to be out today.

“Our members don’t want to be on strike today. They’d rather be carrying out their work, serving the public, dealing with issues and emergencies,” he said, adding that there was “no other choice now.”

Mr McCamley said he hoped today would “give an indication of the mood of our members in Wicklow and obviously across the country, and their determination to look for a better deal for themselves.”

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

A second strike day is planned for next Wednesday, October 21. Mr McCamley said the union would like to avoid it.

“Our members are calling on the government to come to the table, come with a meaningful proposition for beginning those talks, and let’s resolve this once and for all,” he said.

Business group IBEC has warned that the disruption will not create a single job or make any existing job more secure.