Council staff in protest

WEXFORD town was without local authority services yesterday afternoon as more than 100 staff downed tools in protest over the compulsory redundancy of a colleague.

Joe Harpur, 43, has been on a lone picket outside the county hall in Wexford town since he was made redundant on November 14.

Services at Wexford Co Council were partially affected for a two-hour period from lunchtime yesterday, yet all of the offices around the county remained open for business as usual.

The refuse service was among those hardest hit, officials confirmed.

Mr Harpur, a married man with two children, got a letter in the post on October 15 telling him that his position was to be axed.

He says he received no prior warning from the local authority and that the news was a bolt out of the blue.

“I didn’t know anything about my job being on the line until I received a letter in the post.

“I was given no training for the position and I learned it all myself over the past seven years, now I wonder why did I bother going to all the trouble? All I want is my job back.”

Local SIPTU representative, Michael Wall, says Mr Harpur was treated unfairly and believes that proper procedures were not followed in the run-up to his dismissal.