IMPACT has served notice of limited industrial action by laboratory aides on the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) in a dispute over the implementation of a binding Labour Court recommendation. The recommendation was made under the dispute resolution provisions of the Haddington Road Agreement.

The action is set to commence on Monday 12^th October. The union served a longer notice in order to minimise disruption to students in the early part of the academic year.

IMPACT official Shane Lambert explained “The Court’s decision backs a proposal on re-grading, which will actually reduce costs in the longer term. We exhausted all avenues of engagement with DIT on the issue and we’ve achieved a binding Labour Court recommendation which vindicates our position.

“The Department of Education and Skills (DES) told DIT back in July that it was not in a position to give sanction to the employer to implement the recommendation. Several months have passed and any further discussions on this matter should be around the immediate implementation of the recommendation,” he said.

Shane explained that while the ballot by members of the union’s Municipal Employees division allows for full strike action, the limited industrial action that has been notified provides for staff to return to their original duties before they began to take on new duties about 15 years ago. Shane explained, “The laboratory aides were originally specialist cleaners dealing with laboratory, workshop and kitchen equipment, but their role has expanded to include duties that were previously done by technicians. The industrial action will involve reverting to their original ‘fetch, carry and clean’ role.”