STAFF AT the French embassy in Ballsbridge will go on strike tomorrow to protest at their salaries which, they say, are not commensurate with the cost of living in Dublin.
More than 15 employees, most of whom are French nationals, will take part in the industrial action. Last night it was not known if staff at the residence of ambassador Yvon Roe d'Albert would join the strike.
The staff say the French ministry for foreign affairs has refused to acknowledge the high cost of living in Dublin or match salary increases with inflation figures.
Tomorrow's action is supported by the Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail, the largest union at the French ministry. Most of the staff at the embassy in Dublin, however, are not unionised.
The row has been brewing for several months. Earlier this year, embassy staff had considered then abandoned plans to strike during the visit of French president Nicolas Sarkozy to Dublin in July.
One member of staff said that French staff at the embassy pay taxes in France and PRSI contributions in Ireland.
"This means we are caught between the two systems and it is easy to take advantage," the employee, who did not want to be identified, said. "People are really determined to carry this through."
A former employee of the embassy, who again did not want to be named, added: "The reality is that most of the local staff do not have sufficient means to pay their bills at the end of the month. The ministry needs to stop treating them with contempt and realise that the cost of living in Dublin is one of the highest in Europe.
"Nothing has been done for years. This is simply a disgrace for France."
First counsellor at the embassy Gérard Le Corre confirmed that the consular section would be closed tomorrow. "It [the action] is a decision taken by the staff themselves. We hope a solution will be found which will be in the interests of the staff," Mr Le Corre said.