CIVIC RESPONSE:TRADE UNIONS have withdrawn plans for thousands of their members to go on strike tomorrow in five local authority areas around the country which have been the worst hit by flood and storm damage.
Personnel in two hospitals, and possibly a third, in flood-hit regions are also to be exempted from the dispute.
The move came as Minister for the Environment John Gormley said it would be far better if public service staff were in place on Tuesday. He said all State agencies had done an outstanding job in the course of the crisis, and that if staff were not in place on Tuesday “it would make things very difficult”.
He said that the staff concerned had a huge sense of civic duty and would not leave the public in the lurch.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday thanked all those in the public service who had indicated “that every help and assistance will be given right throughout Tuesday and beyond”.
Asked whether he would call on staff in other local authorities to call off strikes, the Taoiseach said: “It has always been envisaged that emergency cover is being provided.Clearly where there are emergencies arising, not only is it being provided, it’s being augmented.
“Everyone is putting their hands to the effort. There’s absolutely no question about the total commitment by all concerned, those in the public service, those in the emergency services, volunteers, local communities themselves.”
Siptu said that its outdoor staff in Cork city and county as well as in counties Clare and Galway will work tomorrow. It also said that hospital support services staff at the Mercy Hospital and St Finbarr’s in Cork will be working to deal with the flood crisis.
It said talks were under way on the situation at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe. Impact and the Irish Nurses’ Organisation withdrew strike notice at the Mercy Hospital last Friday.
Impact said it had withdrawn strike notice in Galway County Council, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Clare County Council and Galway City Council.
The union also said that it was deferring strike action in Waterways Ireland and that it would provide emergency services in Roscommon and Athlone.
Impact is to meet with HSE officials in Galway today.
Siptu’s national organiser for the local authority sector Gene Mealy said that more than 90 per cent of members had voted to support the strike, “but they recognise several areas face emergencies because of the extraordinary weather conditions”.
Impact general secretary Peter McLoone said that while public servants were determined to resist a second pay cut this year, they would not let down their communities in the middle of a genuine crisis.
He said that union representatives would respond positively “where there is widespread hardship or genuine emergency situations”.
