Opinion

Ian Guider: why the unions will win in the public sector pay talks

This is the worst time politically and economically for the government to negotiate a new agreement

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Finance Michael McGrath. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

There’s an element of shadow boxing at the public sector pay talks, which began last week aimed at delivering a new wage agreement for almost 400,000 state employees. Instead of getting down to the key matter of putting their demands on the table, the coalition of 19 unions wanted to discuss the minutiae of removing what they say is a legacy of the economic crisis of 15 years ago when emergency measures, known as Fempi, ...