First major Irish public sector strike in almost two decades set to go ahead

DUBLIN, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Much of Ireland's public sector is set to go on strike for the first time since the height of the country's financial crisis in 2009, after trade unions rejected a late bid by the government to avert the stoppage.

Some 300,000 teachers, health workers, civil servants and other public workers plan to hold the one-day strike over a deadlock between unions and the government on the basis for entering talks on public sector pay rises.

Unions have for months argued that pay terms must be agreed before other issues, such as productivity, were discussed due to cost-of-living pressures. Ministers have rejected this condition and say it represents a break from previous deals.

In a letter to union leaders on Monday urging them to postpone the strike action, Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said "pay issues can and should be discussed as a priority alongside other matters".

The chair of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions public services committee said union leaders could not see how this represented any change in Chambers' position or provided a basis for postponement.

A series of pay increases have kept industrial peace since the harsh pay cuts that spurred the 2009 walkout, and while Ireland's economy and public finances are among the healthiest in Europe, high prices have frustrated many workers.

Trade unions want any new deal to cover the gap between pay and inflation over previous years and ensure that wages will not fall behind living standards over the duration of any new deal. The last pay deal expired at the end of June.

Essential services such as emergency hospital departments will be maintained on Wednesday and public transport will also be unaffected. However fire and ambulance services will run a reduced service and hospitals have warned of "significant and widespread" disruption with routine procedures cancelled.

A second strike day is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21.  

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Alex Richardson)