Staff at Roscommon County Council have served strike notice in a dispute over proposed changes that are part of a major reorganisation plan for the local authority.
Strike notice was served following a meeting of 150 outdoor and engineering staff, which sanctioned the industrial action because of alleged lack of consultation on the changes.
The council has said it is prepared to go to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), but only if changes are implemented as planned on Friday.
As part of the establishment of new municipal districts, the council is planning a number of reforms of the local engineering area.
The council insists it has engaged in a lengthy consultation process in the lead-up to the implementation of the new arrangements. But unions have been seeking a postponement of the changes pending discussions with the LRC. They say talks to date have not been meaningful.
Siptu industrial relations organiser Anthony McCormack said that the only way the staff could go to the LRC would be if there was a postponement of the changes to allow for “meaningful consultation”.
“Roscommon County Council were served with strike notice. They were given a week’s notice of our intent to engage in industrial action and all-out strike should they proceed with the discipline or the removal of any of our members from the payroll for refusing to co-operate with the changes on Friday,” Mr McCormack said.
He added: “There is no urgent need to implement those changes at this point in time. There is plenty of time for agreement to be reached without any effect whatever taking place on services.”
Independent Roscommon-South Leitrim TD Michael Fitzmaurice has called on the county council to defer today’s introduction of the changes to allow both sides to have an opportunity to sit down and resolve the outstanding issues.