Staff in South Dublin County Council began a campaign of industrial action this week after management unilaterally withdrew acting payments from 13 of its staff and revealed plans to do the same to another 150 workers.

IMPACT official Angela Kirk said management was in breach of the Haddington Road agreement and was effectively extending pay cuts to staff below the €65,000 earnings threshold set out in the deal. The union also condemned management for refusing to discuss its proposals, saying that they were non-negotiable.

“Council  management has breached the Haddington Road agreement, which is delivering huge savings and increased working time in South Dublin and other local authorities. Management has refused to deal with the situation through negotiations. Instead it announced its intention to cut pay just days before a Labour Relations Commission hearing, which was meant to deal with the matter,” she said.

The industrial action includes a refusal to staff public counters between 12.30pm and 2.30pm, the withdrawal of cooperation with evening meetings, an overtime ban, and a refusal to carry out duties at a higher grade.  IMPACT has warned that strike action is possible if council management continues to refuse to negotiate on the issue.

The staff concerned have been carrying out extra work with additional responsibilities – some of them for as long as 12 years – for which they have been getting an extra ‘acting’ payment. The council now says they must continue to do this work, but without the extra payment.

During the talks that produced the Haddington Road agreement, IMPACT won agreement on a process to regularise long-term acting positions following the completion of a workforce plan in each local authority. Local talks on the issue broke down in South Dublin after management told IMPACT it intended to cut pay rather than discuss the regularisation of acting positions.