Irish unions gear up to fight austerity measures‏

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) today announced a campaign of industrial action including possible strikes following the breakdown in talks with the Government and cuts imposed in the 2010 Irish budget.

 ICTU’s Public Services Committee is "resolved to take action necessary" to protect its members' pay, pensions and tenure. The committee said the Government's approach which was "based solely on the principle of attack" - meant there was now no alternative to its campaign. "The consequences of that situation rest firmly at the Government’s door."
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0107/breaking52.htm

The action plan includes:

- a refusal to co-operate "with the management change agenda"

- meetings during January to ensure a co-ordinated action across different employment sectors

- further strikes if necessary, including "selective strike action to be used intermittently alongside a sustained work-to rule non-cooperation campaign, other forms of disruptive action, and consideration of a wide-scale strike at a strategic point in the campaign"

- "a managed withdrawal" from most local partnership arrangements, and work-to-rules at specific times, in specific areas, "to cause maximum inconvenience to senior management"

- a second phase of actions across the public service that can be taken with effect from February 1st "to increase the level of disruption to government and management systems".

- extensive political and public relations lobbying and an examination of legal options in the face of pay cuts and future changes to pension entitlements

http://www.ictu.ie/campaigns/get-up-stand-up-campaign/