Dublin: The government has endorsed a historic funding agreement for pay increases benefiting health and social care workers in the community and voluntary sector. The deal, reached at the Workplace Relations Commission, will now be reviewed by unions and their members.
The agreement includes a 9.25% pay increase for up to 40,000 workers, backdated to October 2024, with phased increases through 2025 and 2026. Additionally, workers will now have a permanent link to public sector pay agreements, ensuring future wage parity.
This agreement fulfills a Programme for Government commitment, requiring an annual investment of €140 million. It applies to employees in Section 39 (healthcare), Section 56 (child and family services), Section 10 (housing), and Section 40 (domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence agencies).
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth Norma Foley praised the collaborative effort in securing the agreement, recognising the essential contributions of these workers.
Union representatives, including Liam Berney (ICTU) and Damian Ginley (SIPTU), confirmed that members will review the proposals before deciding on further action. This comes after SIPTU members in Section 39 organisations recently voted for strike action, citing the government’s previous failure to honour a 2023 pay agreement linking their wages to the public sector.
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