THE IRISH Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) will meet today to draw up a co-ordinated union response to the public sector pension levy amid indications that the Government could face considerable industrial unrest over the measure.
About 13,000 lower-paid civil servants are set to take one-day strike action on February 26th, if a ballot, which begins today, is carried. The move by the Civil, Public and Services Union (CPSU) could cause considerable disruption as many of its members work in lower-paid, mainly clerical grades in Government departments, social welfare centres and in the Passport Office.
Separately last night, the trade union Unite said its public sector forum had voted to take whatever action was necessary, up to and including strike action, in opposition to the levy. The union represents 5,000 public sector workers in third- level education, health, local authority, Civil Service and non commercial state agencies.
The Cabinet is expected to consider the draft heads of the legislation governing the introduction of the levy for about 350,000 public sector staff today.
The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, said yesterday he would be disappointed if public sector staff engaged in industrial action over the levy and said he hoped that public services would not be affected. He said the Government had had to proceed with the levy in the context of concerns about unemployment and the public finances.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore warned unions last night that strikes against the pension levy could backfire. Speaking in Mayo, he said: “To defend yourselves now as employees, to defend the services you deliver to the public, you now need allies and friends among the general public.
“You need to reverse some of the unfair and unjustified public perceptions of the public service. This, therefore, is not a time for industrial relations tactics which may have worked for you in the past but which now will only further alienate a wider public who are worried about the security of their own jobs and businesses.”
CPSU general secretary Blair Horan said he believes the ballot for industrial action will be carried.
The union is to hold a protest at the Dáil on Wednesday of next week. The ballot result will be known the following day.
Mr Horan said that if the strike went ahead on February 26th all Government departments and some embassies abroad would be affected and that social welfare offices and revenue offices could close. However, he said that in any subsequent work-to-rule actions services for the unemployed in social welfare offices would be protected.
The Irish Nurses Organisation yesterday said that its members would participate in whatever campaign of action was agreed by the public service unions as a whole. However, general secretary Liam Doran said: “Nobody wants industrial action. You are talking to a union that’s been down that road in recent times and nobody wants it.”
Meanwhile, the PSEU union, which represents about 10,000 mid-ranking staff in executive grades, urged its members to take part in a mass lobbying of TDs. The executive of Siptu, the country’s largest union, will meet today to consider its response to the levy.