Further industrial action planned by Fás workers

Services at Fás National Training and Employment Authority centres will face further disruption next week as workers protest over the Government's decentralisation plan to relocate the agency to Co Offaly.

Fás employees are against the Government's decentralisation plans, which would see the compulsory relocation of some 400 positions from Dublin to Birr, Co Offaly.

Staff at training centres at Baldoyle, Loughlinstown, Sligo and Jervis Street and four head office locations in central Dublin participating in a communication blackout today by refusing to take telephone calls or use fax machines or e-mails between 8am and 1pm.

Speaking on RTÉ radio this evening, Siptu Fás branch organiser, Mr Greg Ennis, said his union would escalate the industrial action as he claimed that Fás was attempting to compel people to move Birr, against their wishes and despite a Labour Court decision in their favour.

He said that staff would take half-day actions commencing next Thursday, the 18th of May, progressing to full-day stoppages in head office locations on the 23rd and 30th of May.

Mr Ennis had earlier warned that more protests would be announced in the coming days and weeks, with the possibility of Fás head office members having impromptu work stoppages with minimum notice to all concerned.

Mr Ennis admitted the protest would affect members of the public trying to contact Fás with general enquiries and would halt internal communication between the head office and training centres.

"Our last communications blackout by head office staff was very successful," he added. "Although it was regrettable that it affected so many members of the public."