School exams face strike threat

A WORK TO RULE by clerical workers at the Department of Education in Athlone could threaten the preparation of Junior and Leaving…

A WORK TO RULE by clerical workers at the Department of Education in Athlone could threaten the preparation of Junior and Leaving Certificate papers for 130,000 students.

The Civil and Public Service Union (CPSU) has warned the Department that it is to escalate its current overtime ban to a full work to rule at the exam centre in Athlone.

The overtime ban has already affected the processing of the Applied Leaving Cert, which is based on continuous assessment. The union was accused last night of "using children as a weapon in an industrial dispute" by the National Parents' Council, and of plunging parents and pupils into near despair" by the National Parents' Association.

Mr Nick Killian of the National Parents' Council (Post Primary), said that it would be seeking an urgent meeting with the CPSU.

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The union has also served notice on the Revenue Commissioners it intends escalating industrial action at the Collector General's office in Limerick, which would cause serious delays in the collection and banking of revenue.

The Limerick office processes £6 billion a year and deals with thousands of queries from taxpayers. Of the 550 staff, 470 are in the CPSU.

The union introduced an overtime ban throughout the civil service last month in protest at a recruitment embargo which only allows one vacancy in three to be filled. But members are also angry at lack of progress in pay talks under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW).

Other areas targeted by the CPSU include the Department of Agriculture, where clerical staff are refusing to co-operate with the introduction of the new bovine TB testing system.

And last night the general secretary of the union, Mr John O'Dowd, said that members in the Department of Social Welfare will be balloted next week on proposals to escalate industrial action there.