Local authority members providing services for Irish Water set to ballot for industrial action

Local authority members who supply services for Irish Water are balloting for industrial action.

The workers, attached to SIPTU, has said the ballot is a result of an announcement by Irish Water management that it intends to enforce up to 1500 job losses among frontline water service workers.

SIPTU has said it is an attempt to unilaterally cut the number of frontline workers and sees it as an acceleration of "creeping privatisation" of the public utility.

“The company has not explained who would carry out essential work if these jobs are lost. It can only be deduced that the plan is to expand the number of private contractors working for the company which will accelerate the creeping privatisation of this public utility,” said SIPTU organiser Brendan O’Brien in a statement.

“Our members are intent on protecting and developing the public water service which they have provided for decades to the highest standard that funding has allowed.”

The ballot is due to be counted on Friday week, November 20.