Ireland - Union calls for pay increases of up to 6% - December 31, 2025

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has recommended unions in the private sector seek pay increases of between 4.7% and 6%, where sustainable, for 2026. ICTU said the recommendation comes as workers face continued pressure from inflation. The latest inflation figures show that prices rose by 3.2% in November, up from 2.9% in October 2025. ICTU has also recommended that unions should seek other improvements for workers. These include increased new entrant rates of pay; protecting weekly working hours; and securing additional non-pay benefits such as shorter working times, additional annual leave, increased sick pay benefits and improved pension benefits.

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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.