IMPACT members working in Limerick City and County Council have commenced a ballot for industrial action in order to obtain a mandate for a work-to-rule. This would consist of a refusal by every union member to cooperate with any further organisational change until a final staffing and service structure is set out by council management.
IMPACT assistant general secretary Andy Pike said the union has been discussing the changes for over two years. “Council management has had ample opportunity to develop an organisational structure for the delivery of services that provides staff with certainty over the nature of their role and location. While senior management have maintained regular contact with trade unions throughout the period leading to the amalgamation and since, they have not yet been able to formulate a final service structure for the new authority” he said. Andy has described the atmosphere at the local authority as “poisonous”.
Survey
Andy explained that a recent survey of IMPACT members highlighted the difficulties caused by the ongoing situation. “Members reported that the lack of definite information around the structuring of departments and location of staff was a cause of uncertainty and anxiety. The vast majority of those surveyed believed that the information they had been given was incomplete and unsatisfactory” he said.
The survey response showed that the overwhelming majority of members said the level of information given to them about changes after the merger was average, poor or very poor. Of the almost 100 respondents to the survey, only six described the information as ‘very good’, with nobody suggesting it was excellent. Sixty-two people surveyed suggested there was not adequate consultation on the changes.
A total of 71 people said staff briefings with the change management team were not considered to be helpful, with 83 people saying they do not feel their concerns were taken seriously by management at the council. Seventy five respondents said they would support the withdrawing of co-operation.
Ballot
Andy said the branch committee decided it was necessary to ballot members following the survey. The work to rule would mean that union members would be instructed not to comply with any further changes to services, departments or locations until such time as adequate information is provided.
Andy added “It is unusual for the branch committee to ballot members on a local issue such as this. However, given the strength of feeling expressed by members at recent general meetings and through the survey of all members, we believe that steps need to be taken to ensure that staff are provided with certainty as to what the future might hold for them and their service.”
The branch committee is urging members to vote yes in the ballot, which will close on Thursday 26th March.
