The union also agreed to defer a second one-day strike, set for yesterday (Thursday), but said there would be another stoppage on 10th July if sufficient progress failed to emerge from the talks. IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan said limited industrial action, which has been underway for the past four weeks, would continue.

A meeting has been scheduled at the LRC next Monday (30th June).

This week’s strike resulted in the closure of civic offices in Tallaght and Clondalkin, along with seven libraries in the council area. The public was unable to make payments or raise problems or queries over water services, housing, roads, economic development, traffic and other local authority services. IMPACT members in depots providing water, drainage and other services only responded to emergency call-outs.

The strike, and other industrial action, was provoked when council management cut the pay of 13 of its staff and revealed plans to do the same to another 150 workers. The staff concerned have been carrying out extra work with additional responsibilities – some of them for as long as 12 years. Now the council says they must continue to do this work, but it is taking away the extra payment – called an ‘acting payment’ – that goes with it.

IMPACT official Peter Nolan said the unilateral pay cuts were a breach of the Haddington Road agreement and said industrial action had been escalated because of management’s continued refusal to deal with the situation through proper procedures. He said staff had received huge support from councillors at the first meeting of the new council.

Video: The view from the picket line on Tuesday 24th June as 600 IMPACT members engage in strike action at South Dublin County Council