Industrial Relations

Government holds out on revised pay offer for 340,000 public sector workers

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar had earlier claimed that he expected the government to re-engage and make a ‘further offer’

Michael McGrath, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, said he believed the government’s offer of a 7 per cent pay increase across this year and next year was ‘a credible one’. Picture: Fergal Phillips

The government is holding off on making a revised pay offer for 340,000 public sector workers, despite claims from Tánaiste Leo Varadkar that it was prepared to do so.

The talks on a new pay deal collapsed last week after unions rejected an offer of a 5 per cent pay rise for public sector workers worth €1.2 billion up to the end of next year. This followed a 2 per cent pay increase already agreed ...