Staff at National Car Test (NCT) centres around the State have served strike notice from January 31st over a dispute about rostering.
The dispute focuses on the company's - National Car Testing Service Ltd - requirement that staff work four 10-hour shifts a week instead of five 8-hour shifts.
SIPTU’s national industrial secretary Mr John Kane said today that conciliation talks were planned at the Labour Relations Commission on Friday. Mr Kane said a meeting last week with the company provided no breakthrough. He said "they absolutely refused to discuss anything other than their adjustment of rosters, which we found unacceptable."
The staff at the three centres in Dublin who refused to work the new rosters, were suspended and officially went on strike on January 17th. Testing is being carried out on a limited basis by managers and non-union members, at about 25 per cent of the normal number.
The company has said that priority will be given to motorists whose car tax expires this month and need their cars certified as roadworthy.
A spokeswoman at the Motor Taxation Office in Dublin said today that motorists whose NCT test may be cancelled or postponed because of the dispute can tax their cars for three months without the NCT certificate.
Mr Kane said there were also issues over pay and the attitude of management at certain locations and added that NCT mechanics were being paid well below what they could earn elsewhere.