A major effort to head off strike action by 4,500 local authority craft workers from next Monday was under way last night, with the threat of wildcat action by dissident workers remaining a real possibility.
Following yesterday's meeting between management and the nine craft unions, both sides stressed their commitment to negotiate a settlement in advance of Monday's deadline. Mr Paddy Coughlan, chairman of the Local Authority and Health Board Craft Group of Unions, described the talks as "productive and cordial" while a spokesman for the Local Government Services Board also agreed they were harmonious.
Mr Coughlan said the management side had taken on board the concerns of his members and he was expecting a response from the board to revised union demands, probably later today.
"I am confident that a satisfactory outcome can be brokered that will avert strike action," said the union leader, while declining to give details of the new union demands that might swing the balance in favour of an agreement.
"If this strike goes ahead it will be the worst ever in the history of the State," said Mr Coughlan. This was because of the support that the craft workers could expect from 30,000 general operatives, mainly members of SIPTU, employed in hospitals and local authorities. Yesterday's talks at the request of management followed ICTU intervention after the serving of strike notice last Friday when the craft workers rejected by 1,252 votes to 1,106 a Labour Court formula aimed at ending the dispute.
In response to their demand for a pay rise of £28.26, the Labour Court recommended an increase of £28.06 in three phases. The first phase of £12 a week was to date from July 1st, 1997, with the second, £6.18, due to take effect from July 1st, 1998, and the remainder due on July 1st, 1999.
A key problem is the need to prevent any recurrence of the pattern of wildcat strike action by dissident hospital craft workers, as experienced in several health board areas recently. Any formula successful in averting the official strike would also have to be sufficiently palatable to convince the dissidents. Informed sources last night felt the best way forward might be for the unions to seek improvements to the phasing in of the Labour Court recommendation.
That could give rise to additional problems for the Local Government Services Board, however, and its relations with the Department of Finance, in view of public pay guidelines. The Group of Unions chairman emphasised that if the strike did go ahead, the unions' code of practice would ensure emergency cover.