A planned work-to-rule across the Civil Service starting this week has the potential to cause serious disruption to Ireland’s European Union presidency, senior officials have privately warned Government Ministers.
The battle over public-sector pay is set to create a headache for diplomats and officials working on Ireland’s Council of the European Union presidency, an influential deal-making role that involves steering negotiations between the bloc’s 27 governments in Brussels.
There are fears a prolonged industrial dispute will cause a slowdown in the Government’s attempts to conclude political deals on a wide range of European legislation and reforms during its six-month presidency.
The work-to-rule, where staff are restricted to working within the letter of their contracts, will be in place from Wednesday onward.
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It comes into force as Irish officials are drafting a proposed compromise on the size of the EU’s next seven-year budget. European leaders are eager to land an agreement on the union’s common budget by the end of this year.
The industrial action follows ballots passed by Fórsa, Siptu and other unions representing public sector workers.
A one-day strike by public-sector workers is planned for October 14th, to up pressure on the Government in advance of expected pay talks.
There are concerns the work-to-rule restrictions will disrupt Irish efforts to guide EU policy negotiations in Brussels, work that can regularly run late into the evenings and take place over weekends.
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Ireland assumed the rotating EU role in July and will hold the council presidency until the end of the year.
During that time Irish officials are expected to act as a neutral back channel between member states, helping to piece together compromises and deals. Ireland last held the EU council presidency in 2013.
There are concerns in Dublin the work-to-rule action may complicate arrangements for officials travelling from the Republic to EU meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg, and to sittings of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
Although public-sector unions have agreed to an exemption for certain civil servants working on the budget, which will be announced on October 6th, no carve out has been sought for work related to the EU presidency.
Guidance about how civil servants should approach the work-to-rule action differs between unions.
Fórsa, the largest public-sector union, told civil servants that overtime and out-of-hours work associated with the EU presidency is permitted, because it has been occurring on a “structured” basis since July.
However, the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants, which represents higher-ranked staff, has instructed its members not to carry out additional duties.
“While we recognise that the EU presidency is an important event, for industrial action to be effective it is essential that everyone participates and follows the work to rule instruction,” a recent note to members said.
Any travel – including to EU meetings in Brussels, or ministerial “informals” organised in the Republic – should be undertaken only during working hours, according to the guidance.
“Travel to and from meetings not in your work base location should not occur outside of your contracted hours during the work-to-rule,” the note said.
It is understood Government Ministers have been privately briefed by senior officials that this could create challenges for civil servants based in Dublin, who had been expected to accompany Ministers to meetings and discussions in Brussels and Luxembourg.
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A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said questions about the impact of the planned industrial action should be put to the public-sector trade unions.
Teaching and health unions as well as Siptu and others have also voted for industrial action.
Unions have accused the Government of failing to engage on its demand for cost-of-living issues to be addressed at an early stage in talks, while the Government wishes to enter talks without preconditions.
The last national public-service pay deal expired at the end of June.
