The Labour Relations Commission (LRC) has asked IMPACT to give full details of the work that has been removed from Department of Agriculture technical grades, along with duties that should have been returned to them. LRC facilitators have also asked the department to outline a medium-term vision for the role of its technical staff, and identify any obstacles to achieving it.

Both sides met at the LRC earlier this week following the suspension of IMPACT’s industrial action in the row over the department’s treatment of agricultural officers. The process will reconvene on 10^th March, which gives each side time to do the work the LRC has sought.

At this week’s meeting, departmental officials said they had no wish to dismantle the technical officer role. The suspension of industrial action remains in place, although IMPACT has warned that disruption will resume if the issues are not resolved.