SERVICES AT four Government departments were hit yesterday as part of the ongoing industrial action by public sector staff in protest at pay cuts.
Public counters in the departments of justice; finance; transport; and arts, sport and tourism were closed until lunchtime.
In the afternoon, a ban on answering phones was implemented in the same departments by Civil Service trade unions.
It is expected today that public counters operated by the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Agriculture will be hit for a time by the industrial action.
A phone ban is also likely to be put in place in these departments for a defined period.
Public service unions have deferred any major escalation of their campaign of industrial action for four weeks to allow the Government to decide on whether to engage with them.
Union leaders want the Government to engage with them in relation to the pay cuts and public sector pay policy overall, as well as on pensions and job security.
Meanwhile, the country’s largest public sector union, Impact, is expected to announce the identity of its new general secretary designate today.
The current Impact general secretary, Peter McLoone, is due to step down in the summer. Interviews for the post were held yesterday.
The candidate recommended for the post will have to be ratified by the union’s conference which will take place in May.
Separately, a shop steward at the Green Isle Foods plant in Naas, Co Kildare, has begun a hunger strike in protest at what he has said is the refusal by management at the company to accept Labour Court proposals aimed at settling a dispute that has been running for six months.
Jim Wyse said he was seeking the reinstatement of three colleagues who were dismissed for alleged misconduct and for the company to honour existing terms and conditions for the remainder of the strikers
Members of the Technical, Electrical and Engineering Union have been on strike at the plant since last summer.
Green Isle Foods said last night that management at the company was focusing on attempts being made by local Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan who has been acting as a mediator between the parties in recent days.
The company said it hoped that this process would bring about a resolution.