Fórsa is waiting on a date for engagement at the WRC (Workplace relations Commission) with Galway City Council management in the ongoing dispute over the Council’s proposed move from Galway city centre to a new premises at Crown Square.
Last Friday (27th September), Council management acknowledged the matter is to return to the WRC for a conciliation hearing.
The union had opposed a locally-based conciliation process. Fórsa official Padraig Mulligan said this had been necessitated by the failure of management to consult with staff over the controversial move: “It is a breach of legislation underpinning the current public service pay agreement. That’s why we referred it to the WRC.
“A move of this scale, involving up to 150 staff, should not proceed without the necessary consultation. The legislation requires it, and professional courtesy demands it.
“Fórsa is in the business of solving problems, and we believe in a collaborative approach. Galway City Council has shut its own staff out of a project that has zero chance of success without collaboration.
“This is about respecting existing processes and the staff team. But, above all, it’s about respecting those that rely on the services provided by the council,” he said.
The council’s purchase of a new building at Crown Square has proved controversial, with local media reports focusing on the speed of the decision to purchase the new premises in 2022, at an estimated total cost of €56 million.
Councillors were originally given just three days to approve a loan to purchase the new building. It’s widely reported that there was no public consultation in relation to the move, and Fórsa has opposed the relocation due to the absence of any consultation with staff.
Mr Mulligan said members have raised issues of accessibility, public transport links and the loss of a civic presence in Galway city centre. Fórsa has also raised environmental and public access concerns.
An initial WRC hearing took place in July. Fórsa sought further WRC engagement on the basis that the union has several outstanding questions for council management, the answers to which Fórsa described as “far from satisfactory.”
Mr Mulligan added: “The circumstances around the approval, purchase and decision to move premises raises a lot of questions. Relocating the offices will effectively put the council’s services out of reach for many service users, as public transport links are totally inadequate.
“The council’s presence in the city centre is a sustainable and important feature of the services offered by the council. The move to Crown Square isn’t adding value to those services, it’s undermining them,” he said.
Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.