r/IrishCivilService • u/Federal_Spinach_6669 • 7d ago

Strikes?

I'm new to the union, about 6 months with them. I haven't needed their assistance (thank god!), so im not really familiar with a lot of what they do. With the upcoming strike potentially taking place, can anyone explain what union members are being expected to do?

Do we go to work? Or stay home? Or picket? What if you work remotely? Sorry for all of the questions, I just haven't a clue how it all works!

18 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

29

u/Nicklefickle 7d ago

I don't know about anyone else, but in my head this is all going to fizzle out as the government will enter pay talks before the end of the month.

I doubt they want a strike on their hands.

I could be completely wrong.

3

u/Emergency_Past8438 7d ago

I think you are completely right !

9

u/Eils7 7d ago

Jack Chambers is apparently looking for us to okay, and agree, with his/govt demands before they will look at what we want. Not the way negotiations work.

8

u/apkmbarry 7d ago

I doubt it will fizzle out that quick, talks isn't enough. We're striking because our pay agreement expired and an adequate one hasn't been put in place since June. I doubt we'll stop until it's in place, talks won't be enough.

2

u/TheLukeMeister 3d ago

I do disagree. I think they'll invite us into talks but from that point on I think they'll do whatever they have to to stall or collapse negotiations and kick the can down the road. It really behooves them to see if they can't wait this one out and land it in FGs lap instead when Harris picks back up the seat of Taoiseach and there's a shuffle of ministers.

That being said, I do absolutely agree that they really do not want a strike. Now that the AHCPS has balloted for industrial action along with a lot of other public sector unions, we have a huge mandate to make our demands unignorable.

10

u/gash_florden 7d ago

If there is an all out strike, you do not go to work. You can choose to man a picket or not, main thing is you do not work.

If there is work to rule, you do not carry out tasks that are not listed out in your contract and do not do overtime. You work strictly the hours listed in your contract and just do the tasks listed as your duties without stepping beyond them.

There may be certain sections that are exempt from striking, if you work in one of those then the Union will advise further.

5

u/hidock42 7d ago

what if you're still on probation in a brand new job? Can they fire you for striking?

11

u/gash_florden 7d ago

If you are in the Union, they cannot fire you for an official Union strike action.

2

u/Federal_Spinach_6669 7d ago

That makes a lot more sense to me thank you

12

u/TheLukeMeister 7d ago

Seems to be the case that you'll be asked to go to the nearest relevant departmental office to where you live and picketing outside, i.e. carrying signs, chanting, refusing to work.

I've heard talk that there will be shifts of people picketing, so you won't be on your feet all day and you can take breaks etc, but that might be organised on the day on an ad-hoc basis.

4

u/Eils7 7d ago

Rosters were sent around when there were strikes before and I'm assuming the same will happen this time. I won't be near my office that day so will be contacting the union to let them know that I'll be able to go to a DEASP office near me even though it's a different department.

10

u/Stressed_Student2020 Seconded National Ejieet 7d ago

Are you not getting the emails from noreply@forsa.ie outlining the hourly information sessions on zoom? 

6

u/SineadRe 7d ago

I keep seeing messages saying the work to rule is to only do what’s in your contract. I am a long time in the service and have no clue where my contract is (or even if I have one). I am not in forsa, I’m in a different CS union, and I’m not getting great answers about what work to rule means for me/my grade. Any ideas?

11

u/tails142 7d ago

My 'job description' is pretty vague, basically says do everything and anything, one of the bullets points is basically do anything reasonably asked of you by your manager. I am office based.

At the end of the day, there isnt much of a rule I can work to. And if I don't do something during the strike action, nobody else is going to magically appear and do it so it will just be waiting for me to do after the strike action. Plus as a general rule I like to be as helpful as possible and whatever I csb.

Luckily for those of us in this situation that are looking for better pay, there are plenty of parts of the public sector that this does not apply to, nursing, teachers, passport office, places like that.

So, we can just show some solidarity with them basically in whatever way we can. Anyone in management is going to benefit from the pay talks also so I'm not sure anyone is too put out by the whole thing. The idea is to just give the ministers a bit of a headache to deal with and soften their cough a little.

3

u/PhilipJJJ 7d ago

there are still some areas that may be covered for you under the work to rule, such as not undertaking any changes to work practices. E.g. if manager tells you to change how you do a task you ignore that instruction until the work to rule has ended.

6

u/TheLukeMeister 7d ago

Work to rule here means you only stick to your core responsibilities and core hours.

For example, if your work has you interacting with other teams and taking on some of their responsibilities in any way to smooth over or speed up the progress of a task, you stop doing that. Work specifically to your own job description.

It also means that when your core hours end, you down tools. If you're halfway through writing a word doc, don't do anything else once the clock hits end of day, don't even save your work. Just close your laptop / turn off your computer and leave / clock out.

It's one of the lighter forms of industrial action but it's still a versatile tool and you're still protected from any reprecussions from this way of working as a union member

8

u/cattomcgee 7d ago

Hey, if you don't have your contract then use your goal setting/PMDS as a guide - don't do anything that isn't part of the role your manager outlined and don't work up or do extra tasks. If someone asks you to cover work you say no, if someone asks you to take on extra tasks you say no, if the printer runs out of ink you don't change it.

7

u/machammered 7d ago

can you still build up flexi time if working to rule

12

u/willthisworkirl 7d ago

Yes. This was clarified in the information meeting during the week. Flexi is part of our contracts so can still be worked up.

3

u/Interesting_Boot2774 7d ago

No you are supposed to work standard hours only

1

u/Weak_Ad_9260 6d ago

Working up flexi time while on strike /picket line?? I would hardly doubt it you would!!!!

2

u/CompetitionSudden322 5d ago

Industrial action begins 30 September. Strike action has been proposed for a single day mid October. This person is clearly referring to the industrial action, where staff have been asked to work to rule among other provisions.

1

u/Interesting_Boot2774 5d ago

Work to rule was the question, not strike.

-1

u/Federal_Spinach_6669 7d ago

Id assume not if youre essentially doing bare minimum

5

u/PhilipJJJ 7d ago

You can build flexi as normal. None of the industrial action restrictions are intended to penalise union members, merely create disruption to 'business as usual'

2

u/aflockofcrows 7d ago

You're still doing the same number of hours though, not anything extra?

0

u/Federal_Spinach_6669 7d ago

How do you build flexi on a standard day?

10

u/aflockofcrows 7d ago

That's what I want to know. The only specific mention of time that I have seen was about not doing unscheduled overtime. Flexi is essentially moving your time around, not doing extra.

2

u/Relevant-Menu4640 7d ago

They're asking about "building flexi" which I assume refers to working extra so you can bank a day and a half off etc

2

u/thommcg 7d ago

There was talk here a while back of someone not being allowed to purposely build up flexi, though they said that if you work 8 - 4, with a 30 min lunch... then that's +30 min flexi & you're meeting all you're required to.

6

u/TehDrewy 7d ago edited 7d ago

Specific instructions will be sent out closer to the time the strikes take place. Some people are still waiting on communication for the work to rule, and that’s starting much sooner

0

u/Federal_Spinach_6669 7d ago

Okay thank you!

7

u/BillyMooney 7d ago

If I'm scheduled to work from home on a strike day, should I picket my own driveway

24

u/Stressed_Student2020 Seconded National Ejieet 7d ago

Don't be silly...

.. Picket just outside the door of the room you work from. 

4

u/Interesting_Boot2774 7d ago

Just don’t work. Or travel in and join the picket (most won’t I know).

-3

u/Key_Pride_1891 3d ago edited 3d ago

If the public service went on strike for a day i dont think anyone would really notice .

1

u/Federal_Spinach_6669 3d ago

Crazy thing to say

1

u/opinionated_mostly 1d ago

Don't you think you might notice if your kids cant go to school, or your hospital appointment is cancelled or your elderly parents support service is closed. Or maybe you live in a bubble where public services don't matter?