At 9am on Monday 24th March, members working in South Dublin County Council (SDCC) will begin industrial action, which takes the form of a non-cooperation agreement. 

Members have been instructed by the union to withdraw from all engagements with Councillors. This includes engagement by phone and email, and attendance at council, committee and municipal district meetings, if Councillors will be attending them. 

Members have also been advised not to engage in any way with change programmes concerned with outsourcing, with external private consultants or companies, nor provide any information to these companies. In addition, members should not do the work of a vacant post and should strictly adhere to the terms of their substantive post. The full union instruction and FAQ is available here.  

Responding to a statement issued on Wednesday by SDCC, Fórsa official Maura Cahalan pushed back against inaccuracies in the statement.  

She said: “The kernel of the matter in dispute is the lack of proper and meaningful engagement by SDCC in negotiations over a protracted period of time. The definition and threshold for engagement to be meaningful are clearly understood by all parties and is well established as best practice within the industrial relations framework.”

“Meaningful engagement is not met by simply turning up at discussions locally and/or before meetings at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and repeating the opening position as set out whilst refusing to respond substantively to the points raised by Fórsa or the third party.” 

“Employers cannot simply resile from their obligations under the Public Service Agreement and then seek to rely on the protections of that same agreement.” 

“The reference by management to pay adjustments set out under the PSA is particularly nefarious, without grounds under the PSA and Fórsa will resist any furtherance of such threats with all means at our disposal.” 

She continued: “Our preferred option is and always has been to secure agreement by way of negotiation and we of course remain available.  

Branch chair Noel McCarthy said: “Our members are proud to work in SDCC, serving the public and providing vital local services.” 

Over 92% of Fórsa members backed industrial action - up to and including strike action - over the issue of outsourcing work from South Dublin County Council’s legal department, specifically, the engagement of external solicitors for debt recovery of rates arrears.  

Lunchtime protests will also take place, members will be informed of details shortly. 

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