There are two reasons why public servants should grab the pay deal struck this week

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P ublic servants should vote for the pay deal negotiated by their union leaders for two key reasons. One is solidarity with younger colleagues at the sharp end of cost-of-living…

Public servants should vote for the pay deal negotiated by their union leaders for two key reasons. One is solidarity with younger colleagues at the sharp end of cost-of-living and housing pressures, who will gain most from the deal. The second is that the agreement was negotiated at what may be the peak of a boom period in the public finances and locks in decent increases up to mid-2029. In an uncertain world, who knows how the economy and the public finances will look in, say, a year or 18 months’ time.

Perhaps the deal represents a new recognition of the problems facing younger, generally lower-paid people at the earlier stages of their career – or perhaps it is just that as time goes on the size of the generation either locked out of the housing market or really struggling to pay rent or a mortgage keeps growing. Unions want younger public servants as members. And the Government wants them as voters. The backdrop, meanwhile, is increasingly militant young people internationally.

Protests in Spain, France, Serbia, Brazil and across Asia carry messages for those who might be described as being “inside the tent” about the political power of younger people who feel they are getting a raw deal. Gen Z is on the march. Traditional respect for the institutions of state is creaking as the social contract – offering the next generation a decent shot at a job and a house – is breaking down.

Ireland has its own set of economic circumstances, but younger people face particular problems in the housing market – notably crippling rents and a difficult path towards home ownership. They are entering a jobs market where AI is threatening at least some junior roles. The pay deal will not fix all this, or course, but it at least recognises these pressures by offering significantly more to those in their early years.

The numbers are striking. Someone earning €35,000 would be in line for a rise of about 15 per cent under the 33 months of the deal – starting last June – or 16 per cent…

The…

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