SIPTU members to commence industrial action in local authority water services on 7th June

SIPTU members working in water services in local authorities across the country say they will begin a campaign of industrial action on 7th June in a dispute concerning the protection of their earnings as the utility is moved to the control of Uisce Éireann.

SIPTU Public Administration and Community Division Organiser, Karan O Loughlin, said: “SIPTU members in water services in local authorities voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking industrial action to ensure the retention of the value of their earnings in the transition of the responsibility for the maintenance and provision of water services to Uisce Éireann.

“We will be serving notice of industrial action on local authorities across the country.

“The nature of the action will be decided at the end of this week by our representatives from around the country and may well take the form of a strike.

“The industrial action will commence on 7th June, with the objective of ensuring that workers remaining within the local authorities will not suffer a loss of earnings.

“Significant amounts of money will be lost by water workers on a weekly basis and there will be a significant impact on their pensions if these matters are not satisfactorily resolved.

“It was never the first preference of these workers to enter into a dispute as their primary objective at work has always been to provide and maintain quality water services for the general public and businesses.

“However, they will fight to retain what they have rightly struggled to earn over the years and, unfortunately, that could involve significant disruption to the water supply.”

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan O Brien, said: “The SIPTU Local Authority Sector Committee has fully endorsed this course of action. Our demands are reasonable as we are only seeking to ensure the practical application of what was already agreed between union representatives and Government officials as part of the Framework for future deliveryof water services document .

“We will not tolerate the dilution of any terms that protect the pay and conditions of our members whether they remain working with their local authorities or transfer to Uisce Éireann.”