IMPACT action has led to Irish Water insisting that the company it contracts to provide non-domestic billing services will recognise a trade union. The billing company, Abtran, has since confirmed that it will provide union facilities including a room to meet members and a check-off arrangements.

Last year Irish Water told IMPACT that it intended to take on non-domestic billing work that was previously done by local authorities. The union’s Local Government division correctly saw this as the first stage of outsourcing, and insisted that Irish Water should require any contractors to recognise a union. The company agreed.

At the same time, IMPACT moved to ensure that local authority staff involved in non-commercial billing would not be moved to the water utility.

IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan said: “Workers in Abtran are able to get the protections of trade union membership as a result of the strong position taken by IMPACT’s Local Government division.”

Non-domestic consumers – mostly commercial organisations – have paid water charges for many years.