The chief union negotiator in talks with the Government on its plans to cut the public sector pay bill has warned of possible further work stoppages by staff in the public sector.
Impact general secretary Peter McLoone also said the level of emergency cover to be provided during the nationwide public sector strike scheduled for November 24th would be "tightly defined".
The central executive committee of Impact, the largest public sector union, held a special meeting in Dublin today to finalise arrangements for the strike which will see most health, education, civil service and local authority services withdrawn for 24 hours on Tuesday week.
Mr McLoone said there was now little prospect of this strike being averted and warned "further stoppages may be necessary to stop a second cut in public service pay in the forthcoming budget".
The union also decided emergency and essential cover to be provided during the strike "would not extend to matters other than life or immediate health-threatening situations, or other situations where it would be irresponsible not to provide cover."
"Impact has already told education employers that no services at all will be provided in the sector on 24th November, and it has written to local authority employers to say that only emergency fire services will be considered essential," it said.
"The union has also told management that cover in the Civil Service will be limited to the coastguard service, a limited Met Office service to ensure safety at sea, emergency forensic investigations, opening the Oireachtas, and court appearances where failure to appear would be deemed contempt of court," it said.
