The Botanic Gardens is experiencing its first strike in 200 years with 16 gardening staff picketing the entrance in protest at their suspension for refusing to accept new work practices. The dispute poses no immediate threat to thousands of rare plants at the gardens' Glasnevin premises, but it will severely disrupt training for horticultural students.
The dispute began after the breakdown in talks on restructuring under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. Following four years of futile negotiations management unilaterally introduced new structures on Friday and suspended the 16 gardeners when they refused to accept them.
SIPTU's regional secretary, Mr Brendan Hayes, accused Duchas, which has overall responsibility for the gardens, of breaching the industrial peace clause of the PCW, saying: "They have tried to force change without agreement." One of the gardeners, Mr Brian Furlong, said the staff involved had around 320 years' service between them and had put alternative proposals to management that would have cost less to implement. The gardeners are paid a basic wage of between £285 and £360 a week. Their main grievance is that they are being asked to carry out continuous written assessment of students instead of a once-off written assessment. The new system, they say, is making student training "intrusive".