Almost all schools to close for second day in coming weeks as unions turn the screw

A second one-day strike in the coming weeks is set to close almost all the country’s schools as well as cause substantial disruption across the health, local government and justice systems.Teachers’ unions will formally serve notice to the Government on Tuesday of strikes on October 14th and 21st after leaders of the country’s four largest public service unions met on Monday to consider escalation of their dispute over a new national pay deal.Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) general secretary John Boyle said the unions had previously agreed there would be a one-day strike on the 14th with the 21st to be decided upon.However, he said the lack of progress since a work-to-rule started across many sectors of the public and civil service last Wednesday had persuaded officials to press ahead with notification of the second strike.READ MOREThe INTO and Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland commenced work-to-rules on Monday, and Boyle said the experience of members with parents was generally supportive.However, he noted children could not, in many cases, be dropped at schools before their official start time and had to, in many instances, be picked up immediately after classes finished.“Some of the parents didn’t understand why we are doing this, but it makes sense to people when you tell them we want these pay talks to be first and foremost about pay. “People do understand that, including private sector workers and the many parents who are public servants themselves.”[ ‘They deserve to be on a good wage’: Dublin parents back teachers on industrial actionOpens in new window ]“We have three school weeks of work-to-rule, which is pretty much looking like it is going to be guaranteed. In that period, there’s going to be two school closures. “So there’s no doubt that by the time the 21st comes, and all these workers across the public service, teachers, nurses, guards have been taking action, the general public is going to be feeling it.”Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Siptu and Fórsa are already engaged in the work-to-rule, with hospital doctor members of the Irish Medical Organisation, teachers in the Teachers Union of Ireland and members of Unite among those set to join in the action and strike next week.Boyle said that, while the unions were being accused of setting preconditions about any talks, “all we are looking for is certain assurances that it’s not all about going forward into 2027, that there is some acknowledgment of the pressures that people are under in 2026″.Speaking in advance of Tuesday’s budget, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said he would make “a very significant allocation” for public pay for 2027. “This disruption is completely unnecessary,” he said. “The Government wants to get a pay deal with all public workers.“A pay negotiation is about engaging on a whole range of matters, and there is a well-structured process to do that with trade union representatives. I would encourage all the public sector unions to engage in substantive talks.”