Sheehan urges council officials to end 'boycott'
UNION STEPS UP ACTION AGAINST GOVERNMENT PARTIES
Wednesday March 10 2010
COUNCIL OFFICIALS have come under fire for 'crossing the lines of being fair, honest and impartial' in their dealings with elected members.
Councillors have hit out this week over escalating industrial action being taken by some council officials in response to a series of stringent pay cuts. As the current situation stands, officials are refusing to process any representations made by Councillors in the governing parties.
New Ross Fianna Fail Cllr. Michael Sheehan has blasted public service unions and called on them to withdraw their 'boycott' of local representatives of dealing with councillors' representations immediately, saying union leaders should stop 'playing politics with people's lives'.
'It is nothing short of a disgrace. I have never seen local officials being used in such a callus manner by the Union leaders. Their argument is not with us, but preventing Councillors from doing their jobs impacts the very people who they are there to serve and who pay their wages,' said Cllr. Sheehan.
'I understand that public servants may be hurting but making the public suffer will in no way endear their cause with the general population. Ignoring representations will only sour people's view of public servants and in the end the taxpayer will not thank them for their actions,' said Cllr. Sheehan.
'Of course our local officials work hard, I support them, but by stopping me from doing my job and hurting the public will not resolve one iota or reinstate their cuts,' he added.
His sentiments were echoed this week by Fine Gael's Pat Codd who believes that all councillors should be treated the same.
'We represent the people and it is hitting them. I can understand their frustrations but all councillors should be treated equally and I would hope they would meet all councillors and not to ignore any councillors and we would work together,' he said. It is the public being punished by this latest phase of industrial action, according to Fianna Fail's Jimmy Fleming.
'I think this is totally wrong by ignoring the government councillors. At the end of the day the public will lose out not the councillors. I have housing and planning queries and I cannot represent the people for the foreseeable future,' said Cllr. Fleming. However in Enniscorthy Labour's Pat Cody says he fully understands the officials' stance.
'I have a full understanding where the staff are coming from. Their wages have been decimated and they have to react in some way,' said Cllr. Cody.
According to New Ross Town Clerk, David Minogue,
this latest phase
of industrial action came into play on Monday of last week.
' We are directed by the union not to process representations from elected representatives who are members of government, such as local Fianna Fail Councillors, TDs, Senators and Green Party representatives,' he explained.
'That doesn't mean we can't talk or deal with members, it only affects where they make representations on behalf of a third party. The general business of the town council will continue as normal and we will continue as normal,' added David.
- Elaine FURLONG
