UNIONS REPRESENTING some 100,000 public sector workers are balloting their members on industrial action, including strikes, if the Government proceeds with plans to introduce further cuts in pay and services.
Representatives of six unions which have formed the 24/7 Frontline Service Alliance held a joint meeting in Liberty Hall, Dublin yesterday at which they decided to escalate their opposition to cuts.
The group, which represents nurses, gardaí, firefighters and prison officers, said it did not want to take industrial action but would do so if the “savage” cuts proposed in the McCarthy report were implemented.
“All the unions in the alliance who can ballot under their constitutions are now balloting, and we will continue to act, and whatever mandate we receive will be utilised,” Irish Nurses’ Organisation general secretary Liam Doran said.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) cannot ballot on industrial action. However, general secretary of the AGSI Joe Dirwan said the alliance was united in its aims and his members would be “innovative” in relation to the action they would take.
“Whatever action or inaction we decide to take, we will not put the public in danger . . . if we inconvenience them it will be far less inconvenience than if the implementation of the McCarthy report goes ahead.”
The public would face the loss of Garda stations if the McCarthy cuts were implemented, Mr Dirwan said. The alliance is calling on former nurses, gardaí, firefighters and prison officers to take part in the national day of action planned by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) for November 6th, details of which were announced this week.
The alliance will also hold a march to Leinster House on November 11th and hold a national canvass of TDs on the weekend of November 14th and 15th.
Mr Doran said there was no split between unions who are part of the alliance and other public service unions, or any other members of Ictu.
“There is no divide among the public service unions on this, we met with congress on this and received an absolute collective view . . . We are one, and we are continuing to speak with one voice.”
Des Kavanagh, of the Psychiatric Nurses Association, said the alliance wanted negotiations with the Government to avoid the “nuclear option” of industrial action.
In talks with Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan at Government Buildings on Tuesday night, union leaders were told that the Cabinet was looking to cut the public sector pay bill by 6.85 per cent, or €1.3 billion.
Union leaders were told this reduction could come about by pay cuts or alternative measures. Reducing the public sector pay bill does not necessarily involve cutting basic pay as it could be achieved, for example, by scaling back on numbers employed, curbing allowances, overtime or premium rates (variable or non-core pay) or pension payments.
