The Labour Relations Commission is to intervene in a dispute at car-testing centres run by the National Car Testing Service Ltd. Strike notice by SIPTU members in 40 testing centres outside Dublin was served yesterday. It is due to expire on January 31st.
SIPTU members in a further three testing centres in the Dublin area have been on official strike since January 17th.
The dispute centres on the Dublin testing centres where staff have been asked to work a 10-hour roster during the busy period at the early part of the year. None of the centres has closed. Those affected by the strike are being kept open by management and non-SIPTU staff.
The company said special arrangements had been put in place to notify customers.
Since January 1st, cars four years old and older must be tested, which has greatly expanded the workload of the centres. SIPTU, which represents 140 mechanics who work for the National Car Testing Service, said the dispute came to a head when 30 of its members were suspended from duty after refusing to accept the roster.
The company said it hoped any outstanding issues could be resolved at a meeting of the Labour Relations Commission planned for Friday morning.
A spokeswoman said there was an agreement on flexible rostering and the 10-hour shifts represented a four-day working week and were temporary.
