Clerical staff in the Civil Service have threatened strike action if the Government makes former Dail secretaries of defeated deputies permanent civil servants. The issue has aroused strong feeling among clerical staff. Despite the fact that it is the height of the holiday season, 70 per cent of Civil and Public Service Union members voted on the issue and decided overwhelmingly they would not work with the new entrants.
The CPSU general secretary, Mr Blair Horan, said he will now be writing to the Department of Finance to warn that any attempt to redeploy the staff concerned will lead to industrial action.
Given the vote of 5,085 for industrial action, compared with 1,877 against, the union had a very strong mandate.
Many of the secretaries concerned have found other jobs but it is expected that between eight and 20 might seek to avail of a recent agreement negotiated for them by their own union, SIPTU, to become permanent civil servants.
However, the CPSU, which represents clerical grades in the Civil Service, was not notified in advance that an agreement was being negotiated. Mr Horan said that members were angry at the lack of consultation.