More than 50,000 workers could become embroiled in a dispute over a pay parity claim by craftworkers in the local authorities and health services, SIPTU's general secretary, Mr Billy Attley, has warned. A threatened strike next month could present the most serious challenge so far to Partnership 2000.
The dispute currently involves about 4,000 craftworkers, who have presented a claim for £27 a week to bring them into line with comparable grades in the private and semi-state sectors. Mr Attley said at the SIPTU conference yesterday that the dispute had implications for more than 50,000 other workers. The Government would ignore it at its peril.
So far, the Department of Finance and management representatives have insisted that the claim must be within the local bargaining clause of Partnership 2000. The claim considerably exceeds that limit.
A SIPTU national officer, Mr Gerry Fleming, who represents 1,000 painters, said he had no doubt that a ballot of craftworkers would be in favour of a strike. Because of the implications for thousands of other SIPTU members, the union would consult them to ensure they were ready to take action on the issue. They would not leave the battle to the craftworkers.