Staff vote to end Law Society dispute

CLERICAL and canteen staff at the Law Society have voted overwhelmingly to end their twoweek strike after the society agreed …

CLERICAL and canteen staff at the Law Society have voted overwhelmingly to end their twoweek strike after the society agreed to reinstate a temporary secretary. She was dismissed for refusing to service the society's young members' committee.

The society and Mandate, tic union representing the strikers, welcomed the settlement of the dispute and are expected to meet next week to resolve outstand in differences.

The 44 to one vote for a return to work was taken at a meeting yesterday afternoon in the Man date offices. At the meeting strikers were given details of a Labour Court recommendation, already accepted by the society.

The court noted that the dismissed secretary had apologised to the director general of the society, Mr Ken Murphy, and accepted his authority.

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It proposed she should perform the after hours duty until September, and then he released to pursue her evening studies.

The court criticised Mandate for sanctioning the strike before exhausting normal procedures. It also urged the society's management to be more sensitive.

A key issue in the dispute was flexibility. The society had originally sought a clause requiring staff to be "completely flexible"; the court said staff should be reasonably flexible

A new grievance procedure is to be introduced, canteen staff are to be paid the average Dublin union rate (which could mean increases of between £18 and £85 a week) and temporary clerical staff are to be paid on the same salary scale as permanent employees.