Local authorities criticise water workers’ fresh strike action

A decision by about 120 water workers to take a further three days of strike action this week has been criticised by local authority managers who claim to not even be completely clear what the dispute is about.

The action, which is scheduled to take place over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, is likely to cause disruption to services in affected areas, including the southeast and Cork. ‘Boil water’ notices may be required as scheduled or emergency repairs are delayed due to the action.

In letters to Unite, the trade union that represents the workers, chief executives of local authorities involved have argued that the water workers have the option of remaining with the local authorities or transferring to Uisce Éireann. The executives also stated that the Minister for Local Government, Darragh O’Brien, has given assurances that workers’ terms and conditions will be preserved if they opt to stay and that the Local Government Management Association (LGMA) is neither in a position to give assurances on the date of a proposed referendum on the public ownership of water infrastructure or negotiate a specific severance package for those in the sector.

It is also argued that Unite was, along with a number of other unions, a party to the Workplace Relations Commission process that last year gave rise to the Framework for the Future Development of Water Services, which the union is now accused of seeking to renegotiate despite it having only a small minority of the affected workers.

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The LGMA contends it is willing to hold talks with the group of unions, an offer it says Unite has declined.

“Local authority management urges Unite to recognise that industrial action is not necessary when collaborative structures exist to address their concerns,” the LGMA said in a statement.

“Management encourages Unite to withdraw the planned action in the best interests of the public and their members. Management have written to Unite to express this and to seek clarity on the reasons behind the planned action, in light of earlier clarifications provided to the union and management’s expressed willingness to meet with Unite as part of the existing congress group of unions.”

Unite say the union’s position is unique in that it was the only union involved to ballot its membership on the Framework document, which was rejected by more than 90 per cent of those who voted.

It says it is happy to meet management and happy to have the other unions present “if those unions choose to be in the room”.

But, says regional organiser Tom Fitzgerald, “our members have legitimate concerns, concerns they are willing to lose pay over and the fact that the number of members we have is relatively small does not mean those concerns are not legitimate. The way for management to resolve the situation is by coming into the room and sitting down with us.

“On the retention of terms of conditions, the management points to the assurances given by the Minister but ministers come and go and we would make the point that if something needs to be said to employees about their jobs, it needs to be said by their employer.”