Threat to services grows as unions ballot

THE likelihood of serious industrial action by public service unions over the Civil Service recruitment embargo has increased…

THE likelihood of serious industrial action by public service unions over the Civil Service recruitment embargo has increased considerably, following a decision by Impact to ballot its members.

The CPSU, which represents clerical grades, is already balloting on whether to call a half day strike. The result of the CPSU ballot will be known on Monday.

Impact represents professional and technical grades in the Civil Service. Yesterday it issued a circular to branches instructing them to hold ballots of the 4,400 members involved.

Action by Impact members could affect services in areas as wide ranging as meat plants, the Meteorological Service, revenue and marine emergency services. Impact's national secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Paddy Keating, says his members have already suffered disproportion lately from recruitment restrictions.

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Between January 1991 and January 1996 professional and technical staff numbers have declined by 6 per cent, from 4,704 to 4,419. This compares with an overall increase of 12 per cent in Civil Service numbers.

It was precisely to curb this growth that the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, announced last December that one in three Civil Service positions would not be filled as it fell vacant.

"Every single post in the professional and technical structure is vital because staff levels are lowest there," Mr Keating said. Reductions in staff would result in a poorer service and lead to work having to be contracted out with no savings to the Exchequer.

If, as expected, the CPSU members vote on Monday for industrial action, it will take the form of a half day stoppage in Government offices throughout the country on February 21st.

The Civil Service union representing middle management, the PSEU, has still to decide on whether to take strike action over the embargo.