Workers from Ireland’s cleaning, security and catering sectors are set to stage a rally in Dublin to call for higher wages, stronger workplace protections and reforms to public procurement rules as Ireland begins its Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The demonstration, organised by the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union and UNI Europa, will take place outside the Office of Government Procurement on Mayor Street.
Union leaders say the event is intended to draw attention to the role public procurement policies play in determining the pay, job security and working conditions of thousands of employees who provide contracted public services.
The protest coincides with the start of Ireland’s EU Presidency, during which the government will help lead negotiations on proposed reforms to public procurement rules across the European Union.
SIPTU is urging the Irish government to ensure that the country’s first National Public Procurement Strategy, currently being prepared by the Office of Government Procurement, includes stronger protections for workers and gives greater weight to collective bargaining and fair employment standards when awarding public contracts.
Adrian Kane, SIPTU Services Divisional Organiser, said procurement policies directly affect workers employed in essential services such as cleaning, catering and private security.
He argued that public contracts are frequently awarded primarily on the basis of the lowest price, with insufficient consideration given to the employment conditions of the people delivering those services.
According to the union, greater emphasis should be placed on fair wages, secure employment and collective bargaining rights when government bodies select contractors.
UNI Europa, which represents service-sector workers across Europe, said Ireland’s presidency provides an opportunity to influence wider EU policy on procurement practices.
Michala Lafferty, Head of Property Services at UNI Europa, said proposed revisions to procurement rules could improve working conditions for employees across member states during a period when many households continue to face rising living costs.
She said public procurement remains one of the most effective policy tools available to governments for encouraging collective bargaining, improving wages and strengthening workers’ participation in workplace decisions.
Trade unions have increasingly argued that public contracts should reward companies that provide stable employment, fair pay and safe working environments rather than focusing solely on reducing costs.
The issue has gained greater attention across Europe as governments seek to balance budget pressures with demands for improved labour standards in publicly funded services.
Organisers expect workers from a range of contracted service industries to participate in the Dublin demonstration, using the occasion to press both the Irish government and European policymakers to place employment quality alongside cost considerations when reforming procurement systems.
Union representatives say stronger labour protections within procurement policies would benefit not only workers but also improve the quality and long-term sustainability of public services delivered through outsourced contracts.
