A survey of members of Ireland’s largest public service trade union, Fórsa, has revealed overwhelming support for inflation-matching pay increases in upcoming public sector pay talks.
Around 99% of the more than 20,000 respondents said they believed that pay bargaining in both the public and private sectors must match cost-of-living rises.
The survey also found that a clear majority would be in favour of Fórsa organising a ballot for industrial action if negotiated increases are below the rate of inflation, with only 5% opposed, while the remainder said they would consider their support for an industrial action ballot when details of any pay offer are known.
Around 90% of members said it was important that future pay negotiations cover any shortfall experienced because of the withdrawal of Government cost-of-living supports, such as energy credits.
The current public service pay deal, Building Momentum, expires at the end of 2023 and talks on a successor agreement are expected to take place in the coming months.
Responding to the survey results, Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan, who chairs the ICTU Public Services Committee, described the rate of response to the survey as phenomenal and said its findings on pay and cost-of-living issues provided a sharp illustration of the main concerns of all households.
"This is a survey where more than 20,000 Fórsa members have completed a detailed questionnaire, so I think employers and Government need to take note that it shows there is a really strong level of hurt right across the workforce at the moment and pay bargaining has to respond to that," Mr Callinan said.
"The Government really needs to take note now of the level of feeling that exists out there and the way in which people are really struggling with the cost of living," he added.
A spokesperson for the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform said that as Building Momentum expires at the end of 2023, the Government will be due to enter into discussions on pay with public service unions later this year.
"It is expected that inflation and cost of living issues will arise in the context of any discussions," the spokesperson said.
The survey was commissioned by Fórsa and conducted by Amárach research in the second half of April.
