SIPTU demands scrapping of decentralisation plans

SIPTU has demanded that the Government scrap its decentralisation plans and reiterated its position that its 1,600 members will not co-operate with any attempt to move them from their current locations.

A week after the Government was told by the Labour Court it could not use the threat of withholding promotion as a means of enticing workers to relocate from Dublin, SIPTU delegates representing almost 1,600 members in 16 semi-state organisations met in Liberty Hall to hear a report on the court’s recommendation.

Ironically that meeting was held on the same day that 100 staff from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment were relocated to an advance interim office in Carlow.

SIPTU represents workers in Enterprise Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, the National Standards Authority Ireland, Bus Éireann, the National Roads Authority, Bord Bia, BIM, the Combat Poverty Agency and the Arts Council, as well as FÁS.

After delegates from those organisations met yesterday, SIPTU regional secretary Patricia King said the union representatives had “welcomed the acceptance by FÁS management and the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, of the Labour Court recommendation adding that delegates reaffirmed that their campaign will continue to remove all state agencies from the decentralisation programme”.

“We believe that the Labour Court Recommendation has highlighted the legitimate concerns of staff and has spelt out very clearly that voluntary means voluntary. The court accepted people had legitimate expectations and proprietorial rights based on their careers with these agencies and cannot be compelled to relocate.”

IMPACT has written to Mr Cowen calling for an immediate review of the Government’s decentralisation programme in light of last week’s Labour Court decision.

In the letter IMPACT national secretary Louise O’Donnell said a review of decentralisation would allow a breathing space to learn from the process to date and to shape the programme going forward.