IMPACT suspended its industrial action at Templemore Garda college after management agreed to a review of pay, grading and staff numbers. The union also secured commitments on eight new permanent posts, with five additional staff on a relief panel.

The dispute, involving cleaners, centred on the need for more staff to deal with increased student numbers as the college becomes fully operational. A work to rule by members of the union’s FGE branch had led to the closure of guest accommodation at the college.

IMPACT national secretary Andy Pike said the union had won the immediate recruitment of two new service attendants to ease workload pressures. “We have also secured agreement on establishing a new cleaning supervisor post,” he said.

The review will involve an industry expert who will ascertain current and future staffing needs at the college to inform future negotiations. It will:

• Identify the structure of the enhanced staffing compliment needed to service existing and new facilities
• Consider all aspects of service delivery in the college
• Examine industry norms in both the private and public sector
• Allow IMPACT and college management to meet with an independent industry expert.

The review, which will examine rates of pay and appropriate grading for staff, is to be conducted by mid-December.

Andy said FGE had secured a significant win in a difficult dispute. “Our members undertook this action to highlight that their work is a crucial part of the smooth operation of a busy training college, and that their capacity needed to be expanded as the college’s operational capacity grew,” he said.