Council workers in warning over new Uisce Éireann plan

A Siptu sector committee has instructed the union to write to Housing and Local Government Minister Darragh O’Brien to inform him that unless certain issues are addressed, they will refuse to cooperate with the plan.

These include concerns about the pay and terms and conditions of members who decide to remain at local authorities rather than move to Uisce Éireann.

They also include a demand for the minister to name a date for a referendum on the public ownership of water and follow through on commitments on the future of local authorities.

Up to 3,000 staff who work in water services are set to transfer to Uisce Éireann between this year and the end of 2026. If they decide to remain working for a local authority, they will be offered a different role.

The update to members sent by Siptu sector organiser Brendan O’Brien comes after the committee’s sector president Frank Lee resigned from his position last week.

An ‘update’ from Siptu’s Public Administration and Community Division to members, sent last Thursday, said a motion had been overwhelmingly adopted by the committee.

It said the committee noted the need for further clarification in respect of elements of a Framework for Future Delivery of Water Services. It also said: “It is now time to name the date for a referendum on the public ownership of water.”

It said it noted commitments made in relation to the future of local government.

Mr O’Brien said the committee will reconvene in two weeks to assess the situation and decide its next steps.

Mr Lee told the Irish Independent the authorities refused to “redcircle” the terms and conditions of members, many of whom have mortgages and childcare commitments.

“I resigned because this process is moving too fast and I had not got the guarantees that I need that people’s wages wouldn’t be messed about with, there was no date for a referendum on water, and we should know what the local authorities will look like in future,” he said.

An Uisce Éireann spokesman said it had worked closely with local authorities in the delivery of water services nationally. He said it had already made “real progress in improving water services for the benefit of communities across Ireland”.

“We are also engaging with staff who may be interested in transferring to Uisce Éireann and there is a role within Uisce Éireann for every person who currently works in water services in a local authority,” he said.

He said local authority staff can express an interest in transferring to Uisce Éireann any time between now and 2026”.