THE CABINET is to consider today plans by trade unions for a series of strikes across the public service in protest at pay cuts.
The move comes as Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe warned that threatened school closures envisaged as part of the new escalated protest would lead to conflict with the Government.
At a meeting yesterday, the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, which is co-ordinating the current industrial action, said it was moving to a new phase involving work stoppages and a withdrawal of labour.
The chairman of the committee, Peter McLoone, said the forms of action were likely to vary from sector to sector, and individual unions would make their own announcements over the coming days and weeks.
Schools could be closed for a half-day or a full day on a regional or rolling basis.
In the health sector, there could be two-hour work stoppages on a rolling basis around the country, while similar action could take place in local authorities.
In the Civil Service, unions will meet in the days ahead to plan the nature of the intensified campaign.
It is likely that this could see the closure of Government offices or departments for periods.
Mr McLoone said the objective of its campaign was to achieve a negotiated solution that would reverse pay cuts, protect future pay and pensions, and avoid compulsory redundancies.
“The public service transformation proposals, put forward by the unions and rejected by Government last December, could be back on the table if the Government was prepared to say pay cuts could be reversed over time as savings are made through transformation.
“But the longer the industrial action goes on, the harder it will be to convince our members of the merits of such a deal or the Government’s capacity to deliver it in a fair and effective way.”
The Government has said it wants to talk to the unions about public service reform. However, Ministers have said the pay cuts introduced in the budget will not be reversed.
Government sources said there was a concern that talks with the unions that included the pay cuts on the agenda could be perceived in international markets as a rowing back on the budget which had been generally well-received.
Mr O’Keeffe yesterday expressed concern at the decision of teacher unions to threaten school closures as part of industrial action, and warned that such a move would lead to conflict with the Government as there was no possibility of a reversal of pay cuts.
“We would be on a collision course if they are talking about closing schools; that’s a very ser- ious escalation, and one that we don’t want, one that we don’t need and one that’s totally unnecessary.
“I would have thought that while discussions were ongoing, while there were talks on the periphery, that people would have the ultimate patience of waiting to see if we could find a mechanism for further engagement.
“What we are saying to the unions – there have been talks on the sidelines – we understood there were possibilities for re-engagement. We were hoping for that re-engagement. But I have to indicate clearly that the Government is not going back on the cuts that have been put in place.”
Mr O’Keeffe said the Minister for Finance had clearly signalled there would have to be further cuts next year unless the Government could secure the flexibilities and efficiencies necessary.
Social welfare offices in Cork city, Waterford and Coolock in Dublin will be closed to the public all day today as part of the industrial action. The Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork are likely to be closed to the public this afternoon.
There will be a ban on answering phones in the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Social and Family Affairs in the morning.
Stoppages: What Will Be Affected
SCHOOLS:
Schools around the country face closure for periods as part of the escalated campaign of industrial action announced by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The incoming general secretary of the INTO Sheila Nunan said the proposed stoppages could result in schools closed for half days or full days either on a regional or rolling basis.
She said executives of various teacher unions will decide over the coming weeks on how the proposed stoppages will affect schools. “The teacher unions already have a mandate for industrial action up to and including strike action. Following meetings of individual unions, the four teacher unions are expected to meet and co-ordinate any proposed action.”
Since January, teachers have been involved in work to rule protests including non- attendance at meetings outside of school hours and the non-filling of promotional posts affected by the public service embargo.
HEALTH
Impact and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation are proposing rolling two-hour work stoppages across the health service.
However, it is understood that Siptu is unhappy with this plan and is proposing more extensive industrial action.
Health sector trade unions are expected to meet later in the week to decide on the nature and scope of the proposed action.
It is unclear how the proposed two-hour rolling stoppages would work on the ground. However, informed sources said that when the proposal was first mooted it was envisaged that the country would be divided into five regions and that work stoppages would take place in a different area every day for a four-week period.
CIVIL SERVICE
Trade unions in the Civil Service will meet shortly to co-ordinate action. But already the likelihood is that government offices and departments could close for periods of time.
One union, the CPSU, has served strike notice to take effect from next Monday.
From next week an overtime ban will be introduced while selective strikes of indefinite duration in some areas, and for limited periods in others, could take place.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Unions representing staff in local authorities will meet later this week to decide on the nature of the escalated campaign. It could follow the pattern of rolling work stoppages envisaged in the health sector.
MARTIN WALL