Technical staff in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action, which is set to commence in the new year. The dispute follows the Department’s decision to refuse IMPACT members the chance to compete for assistant principal posts, in defiance of a new policy that says all staff can apply for civil service vacancies.

Members of IMPACT’s Agriculture No.1 branch backed industrial action by a margin of 85%. Following massive reform and rationalisation of the State’s agricultural inspection practices over the last 18 months, they fear that their exclusion from competitions for other civil service posts could put their job security at risk, despite commitments in the Haddington Road agreement.

IMPACT national secretary Eamonn Donnelly said the department’s decision to flaunt government policy on cross-stream promotion was the latest in a long line of actions aimed at eroding agricultural officers’ terms and conditions beyond measures already conceded under Haddington Road.

“The exclusion of our members was the latest in a long line of problems, which are ultimately putting jobs at risk. The branch has tabled a lengthy list of issues with management, but it’s quite clear that the department is not willing to make any attempt to discuss, let alone deal with, them. Management has effectively collapsed the industrial relations process, which has forced our members into industrial action as they have no other means of getting their issues addressed,” he said.

Last July civil service management confirmed its policy that technical staff were eligible to compete for assistant principal posts – a policy change that IMPACT had fought hard to achieve. Yet agriculture department management blatantly ignored this official clarification when it excluded agriculture officers from the recent competition.

The ballot followed a series of information meetings across the country. A branch disputes committee is to meet next week to decide the precise form and timetable for action. “The industrial action is necessary to allow us to reclaim an industrial relations environment where we can progress issues and reduce the threat to jobs, terms and conditions,” said Donnelly.