Co Council workers vote to down tools next week

Street sweeping, grass-cutting and other outdoor services in Meath could be under threat this summer as local authority workers ballot next week over strike action. Outdoor staff who have already had overtime cut have now been told by the local authorities that pay cuts would be introduced next Wednesday and they are expected to vote on strike action next Tuesday evening. More than 350 workers employed by Meath County Counil, and Navan, Kells and Trim Town Councils will be balloted by their unions on Tuesday and it is widely believed they will opt to take industrial action. Warnings that the county could be facing a summer of discontent with unswept streets, overgrowing grass verges and dirty roads have been made as the workers consider their options. SIPTU branch secretary John Regan said that the councils want to unilaterally reduce workers" pay from 10th June but that this would be strongly resisted by the unions. He said he was extremely disappointed the council was not engaging with the unions under the normal procedures, before making any final decision. A general meeting of the outdoor staff, who are represented by the SIPTU, TEEU and UCAT trade unions, will take place next Tuesday night at 8pm in the Simonstown GAA Centre in Navan at which they will be appraised of the discussions up to now and where they will be balloted on taking official action. Mr Regan said there was great anger among the workers as some will now see a reduction of almost 50 per cent in their take-home pay. Local election candidate and SIPTU official Anton McCabe said he had met and spoken with most of the council"s outdoor staff and they were in effect 'the working poor". 'There is a lot of anger. They have had their overtime cut, they have been hit by the pension levy and now they are being asked to take a pay cut on top of this. They are saying they would be better off unemployed and are prepared to down tools,' he said. Mr McCabe said that the outdoor staff"s basic wage was not great and had been supplemented by the overtime they received for working on Sunday mornings. 'They have already lost that overtime and they have had to pay the pension levy and now they face a pay cut.' Mr McCabe said he would not be surprised if they voted unamimously for industrial action and said they would have the full support of the trade unions. 'We could be facing a summer of discontent. 'This will affect grass-cutting, street sweeping and the collection of litter. It will have huge implications around the county,' he warned. One angy worker told the Meath Chronicle that indoor staff, particularly those at higher grades, were not being asked to take the same level as pain as the outdoor staff. Cllr Tommy Reilly called on the local authorities to re-examine the situation and said he was very worried about the effect the dispute would have on the towns of Navan, Kells and Trim, and the entire county. 'These workers do a good job. In the summertime, in particular, we want the town to look well and the last thing we need is a strike,' he said. Cllr Reilly said the council"s outdoor staff had been badly hit already by the loss of overtime and the pension levy and they had to pay mortgages and expenses like college fees. We were unable to get a comment from Meath County Council at the time of going to press yesterday (Tuesday).