More than 300,000 public sector workers across Ireland are set to take part in a 24-hour strike - with schools and colleges closed, healthcare appointments cancelled, court sittings suspended and local authority services disrupted.
Valerie is joined by Scott Miller from SIPTU’s Communications Department to explain what’s behind the breakdown in pay talks, why unions say the government’s offer effectively amounts to a real-terms pay cut, and how the cost of living crisis is shaping the dispute - especially for younger workers.
They also unpack what “respecting the picket line” actually means in practice, what happens in an emergency, and what could come next, including further strike action later in October.
