Key Points

• Primary and secondary teachers across the Republic of Ireland have begun industrial action over the failure to agree a new public-sector pay deal.
• Members of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) began work-to-rule measures on Monday, 5 October 2026.
• The action includes withdrawing from certain duties outside teachers’ contracted hours, including some pre-school and post-school supervision.
• INTO members will also refrain from attending staff meetings and formal parent-teacher meetings outside normal school hours.
• ASTI members are withdrawing from selected additional duties, including Croke Park hours and certain communications outside normal working arrangements.
• A nationwide 24-hour strike is planned for 14 October, with a further strike scheduled for 21 October if the dispute remains unresolved.
• The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is also preparing to begin work-to-rule action from 12 October.
• The dispute follows the expiry of the previous public-sector pay agreement on 30 June, with unions accusing the Government of failing to make meaningful commitments on pay.
• More than 100,000 public-sector workers had already entered work-to-rule measures as part of the wider pay dispute.
• The Government says it is prepared to negotiate but opposes preconditions and has described the escalation as unnecessary.
• INTO members backed industrial action by 99.5% of those who voted, while ASTI members voted 95% in favour.
• The developing dispute could cause significant disruption to schools, pupils and parents if the planned full-day strikes proceed.

Ireland Now News (INN) October 5, 2026 – Teachers across the Republic of Ireland have begun industrial action in an escalating dispute over public-sector pay, with primary and secondary schools facing disruption from restrictions on duties outside normal contracted hours. Members of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) started work-to-rule measures on Monday, while a full nationwide strike is planned for 14 October and further action is expected on 21 October if no agreement is reached. The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is also preparing to join the work-to-rule campaign later this month.

The immediate development is the start of the first phase of industrial action, rather than a full closure of schools. Teachers are continuing their core teaching responsibilities but are withdrawing cooperation from a range of additional activities. The dispute is centred on the absence of a new public-sector pay agreement after the previous deal expired at the end of June.

Why have Irish teachers started industrial action?

The industrial action has developed from a wider dispute between public-sector unions and the Irish Government over pay arrangements for workers following the expiry of the previous public-service agreement on 30 June.

According to RTÉ Work & Technology Correspondent Brian O’Donovan, teachers represented by INTO and ASTI began work-to-rule action on 5 October after their unions concluded that sufficient progress had not been made towards a new agreement. RTÉ reported that teachers would work only their contracted hours and withdraw from several activities normally undertaken outside those hours.

The unions say the Government has not made what they regard as meaningful commitments on pay. Their position is that negotiations over a new agreement should address the financial pressures facing public-sector workers, including the impact of the increased cost of living.

The dispute is not confined to education. More than 100,000 public-sector workers have entered work-to-rule measures as part of the wider campaign, increasing the significance of the teachers’ action.

The wider industrial dispute was organised through public-sector unions affiliated with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), with 14 and 21 October identified as dates for potential 24-hour stoppages.

What are INTO teachers doing under the work-to-rule action?

INTO members, who represent a substantial majority of primary-school teachers in the Republic of Ireland, began their first phase of industrial action on 5 October.

The union previously announced that more than 48,000 of its members in the Republic would participate following an industrial-action ballot in which 99.5% of those voting supported action. The turnout was 57.5%.

According to INTO’s published directive, members are ceasing cooperation with Croke Park hours and will not attend staff meetings or formal parent-teacher meetings outside school hours.

The practical effect is expected to be most visible around the beginning and end of the school day.

RTÉ’s Brian O’Donovan reported that INTO members would withdraw from pre-school and post-school supervision. This means some schools may not be able to provide the same arrangements for children who arrive before official opening times or remain after the end of the formal school day.

The action does not mean teachers have stopped providing normal classroom teaching. Instead, it is designed to withdraw additional labour while maintaining contracted responsibilities.

That distinction is important for parents because disruption can vary between individual schools depending on existing arrangements for supervision and activities outside official school hours.

What are ASTI members refusing to do?

Secondary-school teachers represented by ASTI are also taking industrial action from 5 October.

The union represents up to 20,000 second-level teachers. Its members voted 95% to 5% in favour of taking industrial action, with a 56% turnout in the ballot. RTÉ’s Brian O’Donovan reported that the initial action includes withdrawal from selected activities such as Croke Park hours.

ASTI’s own announcement said its members would participate in coordinated public-service strike action on 14 October, with pickets at second-level schools where its members teach.

The Irish Times, in a report by Work Correspondent Emmet Malone, also reported that ASTI members were due to begin work-to-rule measures on 5 October before moving towards strike action on 14 October if meaningful talks were not under way. The report said hundreds of secondary schools could be affected by the planned strike.

The ASTI action includes restrictions on additional activities beyond normal teaching duties. These measures are intended to increase pressure on the Government while maintaining teachers’ ordinary contractual responsibilities.

What disruption could parents and pupils face?

The first phase of the action is expected to create disruption particularly around supervision, meetings and communication outside official school hours.

RTÉ’s Brian O’Donovan reported that some schools could see disruption to early drop-offs and late collections because teachers would no longer provide certain forms of supervision outside their contracted hours.

For INTO members, formal parent-teacher meetings outside school hours are among the activities being withdrawn. Staff meetings outside normal hours are also affected.

ASTI members are taking similar action in relation to meetings outside normal working hours. RTÉ reported that the ASTI directive also covers non-cooperation with phone, email and other electronic communication.

The immediate impact therefore differs from a full strike. Schools can remain open while some services and activities are withdrawn.

The potential disruption becomes substantially greater on a full strike day because teachers would not provide normal classroom teaching.

When are Irish teachers planning full strike action?

The first planned nationwide full strike is scheduled for Wednesday, 14 October.

According to RTÉ’s Fergal Gallagher, a full strike on that date would result in schools closing. INTO General Secretary John Boyle said he expected the action to proceed and indicated that another strike was likely to be approved for 21 October.

The second date is part of the wider public-sector industrial-action programme.

The Irish Federation of University Teachers has also published a timetable for public-service action involving 14 and 21 October, while Fórsa’s education guidance states that INTO and ASTI members are expected to participate in strike action on both dates.

The planned dates mean the dispute could move quickly from limited disruption to widespread school closures if negotiations fail to produce progress.

Why is the Teachers’ Union of Ireland joining the dispute?

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland is also involved in the wider pay dispute, although its timetable differs from that of INTO and ASTI.

RTÉ’s Brian O’Donovan reported that TUI members are due to begin industrial action in the form of a work-to-rule from 12 October.

The TUI has also been dealing with a separate issue concerning a 1% salary increase connected with Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures.

In a 28 September report, RTÉ’s Brian O’Donovan said more than 98% of TUI members voted in favour of industrial action in a national ballot concerning the Government’s failure, according to the union, to pay the agreed 1% increase. The union was separately balloting members on industrial action linked to the absence of a new public-sector pay agreement.

The TUI therefore adds another significant education union to the developing industrial dispute.

What do the teachers’ unions say about the pay dispute?

The unions argue that the central problem is the absence of meaningful engagement on a successor public-sector pay agreement.

INTO members voted overwhelmingly for industrial action, with the union reporting a 99.5% vote in favour among those who participated. INTO said the action was intended to secure a credible pay settlement covering the second half of 2026 and beyond.

ASTI’s ballot also produced a strong mandate. The union said 95% of members voting supported industrial action, while ASTI General Secretary Linda Kelly described the result as a clear indication of the strength of feeling among teachers.

ASTI President Richie Bell said teachers’ pay had fallen in real terms and called for negotiations addressing what the union described as the pay-inflation gap. These comments reflect the unions’ position rather than an independent assessment of teachers’ real-terms earnings.

The unions have argued that cost-of-living pressures should form part of discussions from the outset.

What is the Irish Government’s position?

The Government has rejected the suggestion that it is refusing to negotiate.

Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has urged unions to enter talks and described the planned industrial action as an unnecessary escalation.

As reported by RTÉ’s Fergal Gallagher, Chambers said the Government was willing to engage constructively and would make provision for a pay deal in the Budget. He also argued that the scale of the planned action was difficult to justify while discussions about pay increases were taking place.

The Department of Public Expenditure has similarly said that officials are ready to engage with unions.

In RTÉ’s report by Brian O’Donovan, the department said it was unfair for the public to face significant disruption because unions had moved towards industrial action rather than substantive talks. It said meaningful progress required both sides to engage constructively and without preconditions.

The Government’s position therefore differs from that of the unions on the starting point for negotiations.

The unions want clearer commitments on pay, while the Government has argued that discussions should begin without conditions about the eventual outcome.

How does the teachers’ dispute fit into the wider public-sector action?

The teachers’ industrial action is one part of a broader public-sector dispute.

Public-sector unions have been preparing coordinated action since the previous agreement expired on 30 June.

RTÉ reported earlier in September that the ICTU Public Services Committee had agreed to strike dates of 14 and 21 October if there was no progress on a new pay agreement. The committee is chaired by Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan.

Other groups involved in the wider dispute include health workers, civil servants and other public-sector employees.

This means the teachers’ action is taking place alongside industrial action affecting other areas of the State’s public services rather than as an isolated education dispute.

The involvement of teachers is particularly visible because any significant strike affects school opening arrangements, parents’ working schedules and pupils’ education.

What has the Government said about negotiations?

The Government has maintained that it is willing to negotiate directly with unions or through the Workplace Relations Commission.

Minister Chambers has rejected the idea that negotiations should be conditional on an advance commitment to a particular pay settlement.

The position was also reflected in statements from the Department of Public Expenditure reported by RTÉ. Officials said both sides needed to participate in constructive and sustained engagement without preconditions.

The disagreement over the negotiating framework has become a central feature of the dispute.

The unions argue that they need evidence of a serious approach to pay before they can enter a meaningful process, while the Government says such conditions should not be attached to negotiations.

Could schools close during the October strikes?

Yes. The planned 24-hour strike on 14 October is expected to result in school closures where teachers participating in the action cannot provide normal teaching services.

RTÉ reported that the full strike planned for 14 October would close all schools.

The prospect of a second strike on 21 October increases the potential duration of disruption.

However, the precise operational impact can depend on the participation of staff and the arrangements at individual schools. The work-to-rule phase that began on 5 October is different from the full strike because teachers continue their contracted teaching duties during the initial stage.

What could happen if the dispute continues?

The immediate next stage is the planned expansion of industrial action.

INTO and ASTI members are already operating under work-to-rule instructions. TUI members are due to begin similar action from 12 October. The first full strike is scheduled for 14 October, followed by further planned action on 21 October if the dispute remains unresolved.

There is therefore a limited period in which negotiations could potentially prevent the planned escalation.

RTÉ reported on 4 October that no talks had yet been scheduled at that stage, while Social Democrats acting leader Cian O’Callaghan said the Government should make the first move by putting a pay offer on the table and then allowing negotiations to take place.

Whether the dispute escalates will depend on developments between the Government and unions, particularly over the question of pay and the conditions for negotiations.

What Is the Background to the Irish Teachers’ Pay Dispute?

The current dispute follows the expiry of the previous public-sector pay agreement on 30 June 2026.

Before teachers began their action, other public-sector groups had already started work-to-rule measures. The dispute developed after unions said the Government had failed to establish a satisfactory basis for negotiations on a successor agreement.

The teaching unions subsequently held ballots among their members.

INTO recorded a 99.5% vote in favour of industrial action among those voting, while ASTI recorded a 95% vote in favour. TUI members separately recorded more than 98% support in a national ballot concerning industrial action, including an issue over a 1% salary increase connected to Senior Cycle redevelopment measures.

The wider dispute has consequently developed into coordinated action involving several categories of public-sector workers.

The Government has maintained that it is willing to negotiate, while the unions have continued to press for a credible pay settlement and meaningful engagement.

The current work-to-rule measures represent the first major stage of the teachers’ campaign. The scheduled October strikes represent a further escalation if a resolution is not reached.

What Could the Teachers’ Industrial Action Mean for Parents and Pupils?

For parents, the most immediate consequence is disruption to services outside normal school hours.

Early drop-offs and late collections may be affected in schools where teachers previously provided supervision outside contracted hours. Parent-teacher meetings and staff meetings held outside normal hours may also be postponed or moved into the school day.

For pupils, classroom teaching continues during the work-to-rule phase, but the planned 24-hour strikes could result in school closures.

For schools, the action creates additional administrative and operational pressures, particularly where supervision arrangements have relied on teachers undertaking duties beyond their core contracted hours.

For the wider public sector, the teachers’ involvement increases the scale and visibility of the national pay dispute.

The outcome will ultimately depend on whether the Government and unions can establish a negotiating process capable of addressing the dispute before the scheduled strike dates. At present, both sides remain apart over how negotiations should begin and what commitments should be made on pay.