Staff at Tailte Éireann, the State agency for property registration and valuation, national mapping and surveying infrastructure, are to commence work-to-rule industrial action from next Monday (17th August). The planned industrial action is part of an escalating dispute concerning the assimilation of staff and grading arrangements arising from the establishment of Tailte Éireann in 2023.
The State agency was formed through the amalgamation of Property Registration, the Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI). Notice of the industrial action was served today (Monday 10th August) by Fórsa trade union, which represents staff at Tailte Éireann.
The action follows a ballot of members, which closed on Friday (7th August), in which 82.6% voted in favour of industrial action up to and including strike action in pursuit of a resolution to the ongoing issues regarding pay and grading arising from the assimilation process.
Fórsa assistant general secretary Jim Mitchell explained: “The assimilation of staff into a new State body is a detailed and challenging process. What we are opposing here are attempts to create a two-tier pay structure, with lesser terms for new staff, which actively undermines agreed processes to resolve pay issues at Tailte Éireann.”
Mr Mitchell said the union had engaged extensively since 2023, including processes facilitated by independent third parties: “On two occasions, we received proposals from management we deemed sufficient to be put to members for consideration.
“However, in both instances, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation subsequently intervened to block those proposals at an advanced stage.
“More recently, we have come up against moves to advertise new posts at significantly lower grades than those currently in place. Tailte Éireann did this at the direction of the department.
“These measures have hampered efforts to address outstanding matters on local bargaining. In effect, all efforts – and all progress – toward an agreed outcome are blocked by the department, and this has led, inevitably, to a strongly supported ballot for industrial action, and an absolute determination to oppose efforts to create a two-tier pay structure in Tailte Éireann,” he said.
The union’s Civil Service Divisional Executive Council has approved industrial action, up to and including strike action. Mr Mitchell said further escalation remains likely unless the dispute is resolved.
He added: “Fórsa has made it clear that we remain available for meaningful engagement to resolve this dispute. Any progress will require, at minimum, a credible commitment to honour previous draft agreements, and avoid measures that would disadvantage staff.”
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