Fórsa members employed in Ireland’s public sector vote overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, including strike action, in a dispute over pay. The union reports very high support among those who voted.
RTE and other outlets cite figures around the mid-to-high 90% range, with one report stating 96% and another 96.6% of members voting for industrial action. The vote follows claims by Fórsa that public sector pay has fallen behind prices and that the Government has not put forward “serious proposals” during the talks. Highland Radio also describes Fórsa as Ireland’s largest public service union, representing about 100,000 workers across areas including the civil service, health, and education.
Some reporting also notes that SIPTU members are backing strike action, and that talks are stalled. Overall, the outlets agree the vote is strongly in favour of industrial measures, but they differ in the exact percentage cited and in emphasis on specific reasons such as cost-of-living pressure versus the quality of Government proposals.
