Probation officers are to call off their work to rule following agreement with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the creation of 39 new posts. It has also agreed to fill 19 vacancies.
In response to complaints about difficulty in recruiting and holding new entrants to the probation and welfare service, the Department has agreed to a review of starting salaries.
A key element in securing support for the proposals from 150 IMPACT members, who began their work to rule on Monday, was that the salary review group will include Department of Finance representatives. The Department had blocked any cost-increasing measures proposed in previous talks.
If the review group of IMPACT and departmental representatives cannot reach agreement on new starting salary scales, there is provision to refer the issue to an independent mediator.
IMPACT's assistant general secretary, Mr Peter Nolan, said the probation branch executive had "overwhelmingly accepted" the offer. "For the first time people see the possibility of manageable workloads emerging."
He added: "The creation of almost 40 permanent new posts is a very major achievement." He thought management had at last realised that the problems in the service were not going to go away.