Updated FAQs for Strike Day/ Budget response from Public Services Committee
AHCPS CIRCULAR 30.2026 – Updated FAQs for Strike Day/ Budget response from Public Services Committee
8 October 2026
To: All AHCPS Members
Dear Member,
This circular provides updated Frequently Asked Questions concerning strike action on Wednesday 14 October and the response from the Public Services Committee of ICTU to Budget 2027.
AHCPS Strike Action – Frequently Asked Questions
Strike dates: Wednesday 14 October and Wednesday 21 October 2026
- What is a strike?
A strike is a work stoppage during which workers withdraw their labour and do not work. It is a form of industrial action intended to increase pressure on the employer and advance the union’s position in an ongoing dispute.
- What does being on strike involve?
Members participating in the strike should not attend work, work from home, access work systems, answer work-related calls, emails or other communications, or undertake any work duties during the strike period.
- When will I be on strike?
The notified strike days are Wednesday 14 October 2026 and Wednesday 21 October 2026. Each will involve a 24-hour withdrawal of labour commencing from your normal starting time.
- Will my employer know that I am on strike?
Yes. The Association has formally notified the relevant employers of the strike action.
- Will I be penalised for taking strike action?
The strike is official industrial action authorised by the Association following a ballot of members. Members participating in the action should act in accordance with all instructions and guidance issued by the Association.
Members should be aware that participation in strike action will normally result in a loss of pay for the period concerned.
- What is a derogation?
A derogation is an exemption from industrial action which applies to a specified post or function, rather than to an individual member. Derogations may be agreed by the Association where appropriate, particularly where failure to maintain a service could give rise to serious risks to life or safety.
Where a derogation applies to a particular post, the member occupying that post will be advised. Members should not decide themselves that their post or work is derogated.
- Are some AHCPS members exempt from taking industrial action?
Yes. Under the Civil Service Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme, certain Principal Officers and Assistant Principals are prohibited from participating in industrial action because of the functions they perform.
This includes certain posts involving personnel, industrial relations, staff relations, broader HR functions and buildings/facilities management. It does not extend generally to ICT functions.
Members who are uncertain whether an exemption applies to their post should contact the Association for clarification.
- My manager has asked me to attend a meeting on a strike day. What should I do?
If you are participating in the strike, you should decline the meeting and advise your manager that you will be participating in the industrial action.
- I normally work from home on Wednesdays. What should I do?
You should not work on a strike day, regardless of whether you would normally be working from home or attending your workplace.
Contact your Branch regarding arrangements for participation in a picket.
- I am due to travel for work on a strike day. What should I do?
You should not undertake work-related travel on a strike day. You should inform your line manager in advance that you will be participating in the strike.
- I am working abroad. What should I do on a strike day?
Members working abroad are expected to participate in the strike through a full withdrawal of their labour. As picketing of workplaces abroad is not possible, members should not attend their workplace, work from home, access work systems, respond to work-related communications or undertake any work duties during the strike period.
- I already have approved leave booked for a strike day. What should I do?
Where annual leave was booked and approved before the strike was called, contact your Branch Officer if you have any queries about your circumstances.
Members on pre-booked parental leave, Shorter Working Year arrangements or other unpaid leave may continue with those arrangements as normal.
- What should I do on the strike day?
Members should report to their designated picket in accordance with the arrangements made by their Branch.
- What is a picket?
A picket is a gathering of striking workers at or near a workplace to communicate information about the dispute, demonstrate solidarity and peacefully encourage support for the industrial action.
- When should I attend the picket?
Picketing will generally take place between 8.00am and 4.00pm, in accordance with locally arranged rosters.
- How will I know where to picket?
Your Branch Officers will provide details of your designated picket location. If you are unsure, contact your Branch Officer.
- What are the guidelines for picketing?
Pickets must remain peaceful. Members should not obstruct access to premises and should at all times treat colleagues, members of the public and others respectfully.
Members should follow the instructions of the designated picket supervisor and all guidance issued by the Association.
- How will I know whether I am rostered and at what time?
Local picket rosters will be organised and communicated by Branch Officers.
- What should I bring to the picket?
Wear suitable clothing and be prepared for the weather. Members should bring water and any refreshments they may need. Appropriate union materials will be provided.
- I am on sick leave. Should I attend a picket?
No. If you are absent from work on certified sick leave, you should not attend a picket.
- I am returning from sick leave and have been medically advised to work from home. What should I do?
If you are fit to return to work but participating in the strike, you should not work on the strike day, including from home. You should continue to follow any medical advice that applies to you and contact your Branch Officer if you have any concerns about attending a picket.
- I am pregnant. What arrangements apply to me?
Members should not put their health or safety at risk. Speak to your Branch Officer about appropriate alternative arrangements where necessary.
- I have caring responsibilities which affect my ability to attend a picket. Will this be taken into account?
Yes. Speak to your Branch Officer about your individual circumstances and the local picket arrangements.
- What should I do outside my rostered picket hours?
You remain on strike for the full strike period and must not undertake any work duties outside your picket hours.
You are not required to remain on a picket for the entire day. Your Branch will organise appropriate picket rosters.
- Can I drive into my workplace car park and then walk back out to join the picket?
This will depend on local arrangements. Members should follow the instructions provided by their Branch and picket supervisor.
- Will I lose pay for a strike day?
Yes. Members should expect strike days to be treated as unpaid and pay to be deducted accordingly.
- Does AHCPS pay strike pay?
No. There is no provision for the payment of strike pay by the Association.
- Can I use annual leave on a strike day to avoid losing pay?
Members should not seek to book annual leave for a notified strike day for the purpose of avoiding participation in the industrial action or the associated loss of pay.
Annual leave which was already booked and approved before the strike was called may continue. If you are unsure about your particular circumstances, contact your Branch Officer.
If in doubt
Members should follow official AHCPS instructions and guidance. If you are uncertain about how the strike action, an exemption or a derogation applies to your circumstances, please contact your Branch Officer or the AHCPS office. Please see below the statement from the Public Services Committee.
Statement on behalf of Public Services Committee of ICTU – Budget 2027
For immediate release Tuesday 6th October 2026
The apparent provision of €1.2bn for public service pay and pensions – which is also to include carryover costs of the 2024-2026 pay agreement – appears to be a long way from the €2bn hinted at in recent commentary, with no apparent provision for any further pay measures in 2026.
Public service workers will be left in no doubt that they were right to support industrial action in pursuit of pay measures to address the effect of inflation. Wages fell behind prices by 5% as a result of the peak inflationary period between 2021 and 2025 and have fallen further behind in 2026 .
The Government has demonstrated fiscal capacity elsewhere in the Budget but has apparently not allocated enough to resolve a pay dispute that is now escalating.
Union members are unlikely to be persuaded by the Minister’s call on unions to enter talks, while the provision of €1.2bn does not suggest the Government is prepared to negotiate a deal that workers could consider credible in current circumstances.
ENDS
Yours sincerely,
Ciaran Rohan
General Secretary
