Public service strike inevitable - ICTU

Public service unions have said that there is no prospect of averting a one-day public service strike on 24 November.

The head of ICTU's Public Service Committee, Peter McLoone, said they were now on a trajectory to conflict and it would take 'a huge effort' to change the situation at this stage.

Mr McLoone was speaking after a briefing for public sector union leaders on the current status of talks with the Government on reducing the public sector pay and pensions bill by €1.3 billion in 2010.

He said the unions had not yet received any firm details on the Government's projections for the shape of a transformed public service in the future, on the contribution already made by public servants and the menu of options for reducing the pay bill in 2010.

He said that at this stage people needed clear details of the Government's transformation programme and how it would affect individual workers, and the provision of public services.

He said his members also needed assurances on the protection of pay, pensions and no compulsory redundancies, but that to date those assurances had not been forthcoming.

Nurses 'stretched beyond breaking point'

The Irish Nurses' Organisation has said nurses are stretched beyond breaking point and no more can be given up in possible Government cuts.

Yesterday the INO voted to support a 24-hour strike later this month in protest at planned Government cuts.

85% voted in favour of the action, which is due to take place on 24 November.

Mr Doran said: 'I don't see how nurses can do more. They have already contributed in the form of the pension levy, a complete freeze on appointing nursing posts and increasing levels of demand upon the health service.'

He described the vote in favour of strike action as: 'An expression of anger, frustration and tiredness of being on the receiving end of threats from Government, of ever-increasing workloads, and of no-one acknowledging the contribution that they have already made.'

He also said the vote was a reaction to 'always being told they have to do more and being portrayed by Government and some sections of society as somehow being a leech on society, which is unfair, unwarranted and unjust'.

He said there had been a complete absence of recognition from the Government of what public servants have contributed to date.