The craft group of unions has strongly criticised some of its members for "wildcat" strikes which have caused disruption, confusion and anger in some hospitals and local authorities.
A strike in Cork yesterday meant that all elective surgery and non-emergency procedures were cancelled in the Southern Health Board region. The board issued an appeal to people not to seek hospital facilities unless it was absolutely necessary.
The group, which represents nine craft unions, said the actions had resulted from "misinformation" about the proposed analogue agreement. This is a basis for securing rates of pay for craft workers in the local authorities and health sector which are comparable with those in industry.
It expressed concern that some members may be attempting to "frustrate the democratic decision of the group and the vote of its members."
It called on all members to work normally pending the outcome of the ballot on the revised settlement terms. It stressed that if the members did reject the terms, then the mandate for industrial action was there and could be acted on with the full support of the group of unions.
The group said it feared that misinformation would undermine the democratic vote. "We are required, for reasons of providing good advice and ensuring democratic procedures, to ensure that the truth is made known to all.
"The terms now going out to ballot are by far the best of any analogue agreement to date. The amount negotiated is 20p short of the £25.26 per week claim of the unions.
"In addition, there are non-pay benefits provided in the Main Trade Makes Good Agreement. There is nothing unusual in the payments under the analogue agreements being phased in. This was a feature of previous agreements."