Irish unions suspend planned October 21 strike

Ireland’s public sector unions have suspended a second nationwide strike planned for October 21 after the Government agreed to a facilitated process intended to establish a basis for formal pay negotiations. The planned walkout was called off by the 19 unions affiliated with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Public Services Committee following discussions on October 16. The Government agreed to appoint Kevin Foley as an independent third party to conduct the process at the Workplace Relations Commission, according to the committee’s account. Foley will be assisted by a union nominee and an employer nominee. The process could begin on Saturday, October 17, but the reports do not confirm that it has started. The suspension is not a settlement. Work-to-rule action will continue, and no new public sector pay agreement has been reached. The facilitated process is intended to help the parties establish a basis for formal negotiations; whether it leads to substantive talks remains to be seen. The planned strike followed a nationwide walkout on October 14. Reports and union statements put participation at more than 300,000 public sector workers, including teachers, health workers and...