The work to rule strike which has affected certain services in City Hall for the past month looks set to continue unless the talks between trade unions and the Government come to an agreement.
The protests are part of the public service action against the pay cuts being imposed on them by the Government.
On Thursday March 11 and Monday 22, staff refused to answer phone calls between 1pm and 5pm as part of their protest.
City Hall, through the media, informed the public of this in advance. Callers to the Galway City Council’s customer service number 091 - 536400 were advised by a pre-recorded message. Calls to emergency numbers were unaffected.
A spokesperson for City Hall apologised for any inconvenience caused but added that it was possible staff may take such actions again over the coming weeks.
While this action can affect the public, the strike mostly impacts on councillors. Staff who are members of IMPACT will not be taking representations from councillors except in written form. Members of SIPTU and LAPO will not take representations from any councillors, TDs, and senators who support the Government line on pay cuts.
The council staff have been supported in their actions by Independent councillor Catherine Connolly, but Fianna Fáil councillor Michael J Crowe has publicly criticised them.
The strikes look set to continue up to Easter but Independent Galway West TD Noel Grealish has welcomed the resumption of talks between the public sector unions and the Government, and called on An Taoiseach Brian Cowen to enter “serious dialogue” with unions to resolve the issue.
“It is vital for the good of the country that agreement is reached sooner rather than later and that the concerns of both sides are addressed in a fair and equitable manner,” he said.
He acknowledged that public servants, particularly the lower paid, have undergone “significant pay cuts over the last year” but he called on them to suspend industrial action and resume full duties pending the outcome of talks. Meanwhile Dep Grealish has written to the Taoiseach “setting out the concerns of all those involved”.
