Water treatment workers set for strike action

Council workers responsible for the running of the water treatment works have voted for strike action as the result of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.SIPTU, the union which represents the workers has been in talks with Westmeath County Council for some 18 months but last month decided that the pay agreement which included an allowance for weekend work, should be ended, said Longford/Westmeath SIPTU official Sean Nolan this morning (Tuesday).'The council wanted the workers to agree to changes in rotas and extra duties as well as an end to the weekend pay allowance,' said Mr Nolan.'We have been in ongoing talks about this. I would like to give a balanced view of the situation and the decisions were not taken by the council overnight.We had asked them to wait until June 23 when we were to hold the official hearing and conciliation talks but at the end of April they decided that the weekend allowance would go and did this without going through official SIPTU lines.'Workers were asked to go on an emergency rota for weekends despite cuts in pay allowances.'Workers were then balloted over strike action which the majority voted for and last night we received an official sanction to proceed. We haven"t got an exact date for the strike action as yet but I would say that it will be set for the coming weeks.'I would also say that the water treatment caretakers provide an essential service and any strike action taken would have serious consequences.'This morning County Manager Danny McLoughlin declined to comment on the possibility of strike action.''I don"t deal with queries in relation to staff issues,' he said.