At the Finance SPC in Dublin City Council on the 18th March, the issue of the work-to-rule by council workers was raised in a discussion with the personnel manager.
IMPACT trade union have notified the council that their members will not work with any TD or Councillor from today as an escalation of the work-to-rule.
Cllr Paddy Bourke complained that “the unions are going a step too far” and that the staff are going “the extra mile”. Paddy and his fellow Labour Councillors Dermot Lacey and Kevin Humphries all opposed this escalation as it hurts the public since they are representing the public and those that elected them by dealing with queries to the Council.
Never let it be said that all three have been trade unionists all their lives but this is a step too far by the unions. One of them proposed we meet the unions to put the case to them.
People Before Profit Councillor Brid Smith reminded all councillors that it is less than two months when we democratically passed a motion at the council monthly meeting by a significant majority which indicated support for the work-to-rule and acknowledged that any inconvenience resulting from the workers’ action would be the fault of the Fianna Fail/Green Party government and not of the workers or their unions. So any complaints about this escalation must be directed at the Government and not at the workers or their trade unions. It would be a major contribution to the battle for a “Fairer Way” if Dublin City Councillors would look for a meeting with Minister John Gormley and lay the blame squarely at the door where it belongs.
