Local water service workers' strike action underway

Water service workers in ten local authorities who are members of the Unite trade union are engaged in strike action today (Friday).

Unite members are seeking a commitment that members transferring to Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water), the State owned water utility company,  will retain their public service status

Today's strike action will involve more than 100 Unite members, who will engage in a 24-hour withdrawal of labour and place pickets at various locations across the country.

The local authorities impacted are Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council, Louth County Council, Waterford City and County Council, Carlow County Council, Tipperary County Council, Cork City and County Council and Galway City Council.

Unite says the dispute follows members’ decision to reject the ‘Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services’ document put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission last year.  The union says the dispute centres around the failure of the local authorities and their representative association to engage with Unite concerning what it believes to be shortcomings in the Framework document. 

Unite says members are seeking a commitment that members transferring to Irish Water will retain their public service status, strengthening of existing commitments regarding protection of local authority workers involved in water services delivery, and a removal of service and age barriers for those wishing to avail of the redundancy option.

In addition, the union has urged that the Framework be amended to specify a date and wording for a referendum enshrining public ownership and management of Ireland’s water system in the Constitution. 

Commenting, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite members involved in delivering water services around Ireland took a democratic vote and overwhelmingly rejected the Water Services Framework.  Our members are taking action to defend their working terms and conditions going forward, as well as defending the future of Ireland’s water system by ensuring that it stays in public ownership. The local authorities involved and their representative association have to date failed to engage meaningfully with Unite regarding our concerns, which is unacceptable”.

Unite regional officer Ed Thompson added: “Our members are seeking amendments to the Framework preserving the public service status of workers transferring to Irish Water and protecting the terms and conditions of workers remaining with the local authorities, including their work locations.  We are also seeking the removal of age or service barriers for those workers who want to avail of the redundancy option provided in the Framework.  We are also urging that the Framework be amended to ‘name the date’ for a referendum enshrining public ownership and management of Ireland’s water system in the Constitution, and to specify the wording.

“This dispute is about protecting the terms and conditions of the workers delivering our water services, and safeguarding those services going forward.  Even at this late stage, I would urge the employers to come to the table and resolve this dispute”, Mr Thompson said.