The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has asked Irish Water to set out its rationale for creating a single water authority by 2021, following meetings involving Fórsa, local government management, departmental officials and the WRC last week.

Fórsa and other water unions agreed to the WRC-assisted talks about the future of water services, following consultation with the union’s two divisions that represent water staff in local authorities – the Municipal Employees’ Division and the Local Government Division. 

The union has insisted that the engagement must yield “simultaneous movement” on four strands:

• The future sustainability and revitalisation of local authority services
• A constitutional referendum on public ownership of water services
• The structure and governance of the proposed single water utility, and
• Employment and industrial relations issues that arise from the proposal.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is coordinating the union side in the talks.