SERVICES to the public at most Government offices will stop at p.m. today because of a hall" day strike by 10,000 clerical workers.
They are protesting at the introduction of the public sector recruitment embargo, which they claim will have its greatest impact in their grades. The Irish Business and Employers Confederation says the stoppage is unjustified and a breach of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW).
It also says the Government's decision to restrict recruitment to two out of three civil service vacancies is "an essential ingredient of the plan to control public spending".
The Small Firms Association agrees, saying the action by the Civil and Public Service Union is "an absolute disgrace".
But the CPSU's general secretary, Mr John O'Dowd, who represents the strikers, said claims that his union was in breach of the PCW were "arrant nonsense". The embargo, introduced in December, was not part of the PCW, he said.
Since the embargo was announced, the Department of Finance had failed to respond to requests from the CPSU to discuss its implementation, he said.
Besides closures of public offices in departments such as Social Welfare, Agriculture and the Revenue Commissioners clerical services will cease in the Oireachtas after 1 p.m.
The Labour Court, Labour Relations Commission and Legal Aid Board offices, where all clerical staff are on secondment from the civil service, will also be affected.