Fórsa’s Municipal Employees’ division has seen off outsourcing in Dublin City Council’s litter warden service. The council has agreed that external contractors will no longer be used to undertake the duties of litter wardens.

The union used protections in the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) to win the deal. Lorcan Connolly, of the Fórsa Muno committee, argued that the use of contractors was a breach of the agreement’s restrictions on outsourcing. Management has agreed to remind line managers of their obligations under the agreement, to ensure that the core work of litter wardens is done by council staff.

This is not the first time the division has used the provisions of the national deal, and earlier agreements, to prevent outsourcing. Previous successes were secured in the parks and caretaker services.

The PSSA commits management to consultation on any outsourcing proposals, and contains strict independent mechanisms to deal with disputes. Crucially, the agreement also stops management from including labour costs in evaluations of potential outsourcing, which prevents a ‘race to the bottom’ on pay and working conditions.