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Ireland's 300,000 public sector workers walk out in strike that shuts schools and cancels thousands of medical appointments

Hundreds of thousands of Irish teachers, nurses, doctors and civil servants walked off the job on Wednesday in a 24-hour national strike that closed most schools, colleges and universities and cancelled thousands of medical appointments across Ireland. Pay talks have been stalled since June, when the last public sector pay agreement expired. Consumer price inflation has hit 4.1%, with housing costs up 9.5% in the year to September.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin faced furious opposition at Leaders' Questions, with Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald accusing him of 'brinkmanship' and 'playing chicken' with workers over four months of inaction.

Kevin Callinan, general secretary of the Forsa public sector union, said workers feel a 'breach of trust' with the Department of Public Expenditure and demanded the government respond immediately.

A Cork school principal warned that Ireland risks seeing violent French-style protests if the government continues to ignore the education sector's demands.

MoreIrish Independent‘Threatening email’ sent to schools on day of nationwide public sector strikeIrish TimesMore than 150 schools receive bomb threat email on same day as public sector strikeIrish TimesMicheál Martin’s feathers ruffled by claims he is ‘playing chicken’ with striking workersIrish IndependentWexford student leader backs strike action but says ‘compromise’ neededIrish IndependentCork Principal fears French-style protests if Government continues to ‘ignore’ education sectorIrish IndependentStriking Cork teachers warn of Government’s ‘massive disconnect’ - ‘we’re here because we have to be’APIrish public sector workers strike, leading to school closures and canceled medical appointments
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