Council employees in Kilkenny have voted for industrial action in support of Siptu allegations that contractors working for the local authorities are not complying with nationally-registered agreements on pay and conditions.
The dispute is unusual in that the council employees are not directly affected by the alleged failure of some contractors to pay workers nationally-agreed job rates, sick pay and pension contributions.
Colleen Minihane, a spokeswoman for Siptu, said the union's members are motivated by solidarity for workers being "exploited by contractors", a concern that their own jobs and conditions are being "undermined" by such practices, and fears that "health and safety is not being adequately policed".
She said the ballot of its 240 members last week produced "a majority in favour of industrial action up to and including strike action".
Siptu represents almost half of the combined 550 workforce of Kilkenny County and Borough Councils. If a strike does go ahead it would be the first to affect Kilkenny local authorities.
A spokesman for Kilkenny County Council, which uses a number of contractors for road and house building projects, said: "We are happy that we are in compliance with the terms and conditions governing the use of outside contractors".
Contracts between local authorities and contractors are subject to minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment, are registered with the Labour Court and are legally binding, he said. It is understood that Kilkenny is just one of a number of counties which Siptu is targeting.
The dispute is now expected to be referred to the Labour Relations Commission next week.
