The coalition knows it is in a tight spot on public sector pay
The government has no choice but to hold the line that the Agreement is the only show in town
The dominoes are lined up, and the government knows that even the gentlest of nudges could set in motion a process of undermining its policy on public sector pay – and with it the authority of its already fragile rule.
The announcement by the Garda Representative Association (GRA) this week that their rank-and-file members would take the unprecedented step of withdrawing from service, was met with an equally hard line stance from government.