IMPACT members working at Sligo County Council have voted in favour of industrial action in response to management proposals to impose compulsory redeployments on workers at the local authority.
The ballot result, released on Tuesday, saw 78% of those balloted vote in favour of industrial action, up to and including strike action, if management attempts to impose compulsory redeployment.
IMPACT official Richy Carrothers explained that compulsory redeployments in the local authority are not necessary. “Since 2008 there has been a staff reduction of nearly 200 posts. There is a strong argument that Sligo County Council is, in fact, understaffed when you consider the range and number of services being provided across the county” he said.
Richy added that expressions of interest issued by management for voluntary redeployment were ‘vague’ and contained no information about roles, functions or locations.
Workforce planning
Sligo County Council produced a workforce plan just two months before the Government deadline in December 2013. Richy explained that the union had serious concerns about management proposals, which included plans to outsource areas of work. A subsequent financial plan developed by the Council included plans for staff redeployment, to suppress posts, abolish acting positions, as well as proposals for the closure and reduction of some services.
Richy explained “This plan has yet to be signed off by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, and discussions about the plan have been confined to senior management at the local authority, elected councillors and the department itself. Trade unions representing staff have been excluded from the workforce plan discussions entirely.”
Richy said that there is still no workforce plan proposal for Sligo County Council, and this has meant that requirements under the Haddington Road agreement, in relation to the regularisation of acting posts, have not been met. “We want to see a fair and negotiated resolution to the regularisation of acting posts, consistent with what has been achieved in other local authorities. Without a workforce plan, this can’t be realised” he said.
Richy said that industrial action, which would initially take the form of a work to rule and non-cooperation, can be avoided if Sligo County Council could commit to no compulsory redeployments. “Management also need to work toward reaching an agreement with us on long term acting and the development of a workforce plan that is fair, equitable and transparent. We believe that industrial action can be avoided on that basis.”
Richy said that talks had taken place with management in recent weeks and were continuing.
