SIPTU has warned that the added cost-of-living increases, resulting from the crisis in the Middle East, will mean additional pressure for wage increases in negotiations with employers across both the public and private sectors.
The current public sector pay deal was agreed in January in 2024 and will run until 30 June 2026.
SIPTU General Secretary John King said that in its recent cost of living announcements, the Government had failed to provide meaningful support for the low-paid and average income households who are currently facing the sharp end of spiralling energy costs and general price inflation.
"While the Government's additional support for those reliant on social protection payments is welcomed, the reality is that the majority of workers will see limited benefit from the measures it has announced," Mr King said.
"The Government needs to start preparing a follow-up series of supports immediately but this time the focus must be firmly on the low-paid and average income earners who have been ignored.
"Otherwise, the only course of action for workers to protect their livelihoods is through their unions' engagement with employers," he added.
Yesterday, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) called for changes to mileage rates to reflect the soaring cost of fuel.
In a letter to the HSE's Director of Human Resources, INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha asked that the banding system for travel be set aside and that the highest rates be applied for the duration of the current fuel crisis.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said they had been inundated with calls from nurses and midwives who are providing vital care in the community using their own personal vehicles.
"Nurses and midwives working in the community should not be expected to front the cost of providing essential services to people in their own homes," she said.
