Just 19 of 34 local authorities have so far formulated proposals on workforce planning, which is the first step towards regularising acting posts as agreed in the talks that led to the Haddington Road agreement. And, as the dispute in South Dublin County Council escalates with strike notice issued this week, IMPACT has referred the acting issue to the Labour Relations Commission in regard to two other local authorities – Waterford and Clare.

In a letter to branches at the end of last month, IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan advised them to consider industrial action ballots in counties where there has been no local engagement from management. He said disputes in “a number of counties” now looked likely.

Peter said the union fundamentally disagreed with the national employer body’s approach to negotiations on the conversion of long term acting posts into permanent posts. “The employers’ document – Workforce Plan 2012 – has not been agreed or accepted by IMPACT and, in the majority of local authorities, the level of meaningful local engagement with the union falls far below what we expected or require,” he said.

The union’s branches have also been advised not to agree the termination of any long-term acting allowances until all proper procedures have been exhausted.