Mandatory car tests for motorists in the Dublin area face disruption from next Wednesday in a dispute which could spread to other centres.
SIPTU has served strike notice on National Car Testing Services Ltd from that date on behalf of 40 members at the company's three Dublin test centres. About 400 cars a day are checked at the centres.
The strike could spread nationally. A meeting of about 100 SIPTU members from centres outside Dublin is being held in Tullamore tonight to consider balloting in support of their Dublin colleagues.
The dispute is over a company requirement to work four 10hour shifts a week instead of five 8-hour shifts. NCT's public relations officer, Ms Samantha Breen, says similar changes were made last year and there was no indication of dissatisfaction when these were announced.
However, Mr John Kane, national industrial secretary of SIPTU, says conditions are too poor for testers to work 10 hours in draughty inspection bays.
The "catalyst" for the current dispute, according to SIPTU, was the suspension of some 30 members in Dublin for refusing to co-operate with the changes in shift rosters. Mr Kane says withdrawal of strike notice also requires settlement of other outstanding issues such as wages, workloads and management attitudes at certain locations.