Hopes fade for deal to avert strike

PUBLIC service unions in Cork have called off their planned strike to continue emergency work in flood devastated areas.

Members of SIPTU,IMPACT and the TEEU moved to defer walk-outs in Cork, in order to aid victims of the floods. Nursing unions have agreed to exclude Cork city hospitals from the day of action.

As well as council workers and electricians, SIPTU hospital support services staff at the Mercy Universe Hospital and St Finbarr’s in Cork will also be working to help deal with the flood crisis.

“The priority at this time must be to look after the public,” SIPTU organiser Michael Kilcoyne said. “These people have been working for three days and three nights, rescuing people and restoring essential services.

In many cases they have worked continuously without any rest.

“They see their first duty being to the public they serve, despite the local authorities unilaterally depriving them of allowances they were entitled to last summer,” he said.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Brian Cowen signalled there would be no new government initiative as he said he expected the country to be hit by industrial action tomorrow.

Union bosses acted to ensure rescue efforts continued at full speed – and head-off a potential public backlash – by saying essential services, such as hospitals, must remain fully staffed in the worst affected areas.

Mr Cowen expressed “gratitude” to unions for putting flood victims first, but there was no hint of concessions from Government in the dispute about public sector pay cuts.

The nation was bracing itself for the effects of the mass walk-out which will see only emergency cover provided by hospital workers, firefighters and ambulance staff. Even gardaí, who are banned from striking, will refuse to impose discretionary motoring penalties.

IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone, who chairs the ICTU strike committee which was drawing up the final plans today for the national stoppage, dashed hopes a document delivered by ministers setting out their strategy would help see the strike abandoned. Mr McLoone said the document did not go far enough, as it did not include the guarantees unions have sought over pay, pensions and compulsory redundancies, but said it was a positive move which would help lead to a negotiated settlement of the dispute.