Public sector unions are to stage demonstrations in eight cities and towns next Thursday in the event a second one-day strike goes ahead.
The protests, which are connected to the dispute over the failure to agree a new national pay deal, will take place between noon and 2pm in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, as well as Letterkenny, Sligo and Tullamore.
The unions are keen to encourage members to participate in the protests, and so it is understood most will not place pickets on their workplaces.
All three teachers’ unions, as well as Fórsa, which represents almost a third of those involved in the dispute, confirmed their priority would be to get members along to the regional centres where the demonstrations are taking place.
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The unions have said they will be stepping up their work-to-rule this week after talks with Government officials over a new deal broke down last Friday night.
They have also suggested they will be reviewing the derogations they granted which allowed some members to work through the last strike.
Their intention, they say, is to maximise the impact of the action, but emergency cover will be provided in all key services.
The absence of pickets may mean some buildings that were closed during the first strike are able to open and more non-union members may go to work.
About two-thirds of public and civil servants are members of trade unions.
No classes would be expected to take place at schools, while many hospital appointments would have to be deferred and other government and council services would be severely disrupted if the stoppage proceeds.
[ Government seeks solution to public sector pay deal before threatened strikeOpens in new window ]
Efforts to restart talks between the two sides continued on Thursday, but the unions did not meet the steering group chaired by Workplace Relations Commission chair Kevin Foley. They may do so again on Friday, however.
Face-to-face talks between the two sides broke down when the unions rejected an offer on pay worth 6.75 per cent over 2½ years with an additional 1 per cent for local bargaining.
The gap between the sides remains substantial with Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan arguing unions are not prepared to accept a deal that was worth less than the one agreed in 2024.
That deal provided for 9¼ per cent in pay increases plus 1 per cent for local bargaining over the same time period.
He declined to be drawn on unions’ basic demand on pay but said it is higher than those figures.
The unions are also reported to be seeking reductions in the amounts of some additional public sector workers’ pension contributions introduced in the wake of the financial crash.
