Industrial action ordered at planning authority

The union representing planning authority professionals, UPAP, has ordered industrial action over the redeployment of staff as part of the reform at the planning authority.

It said it had resorted to action after the government yesterday confirmed it intended to continue transferring employees.

According to its legal advice, it said, the employees in question were being made redundant. "This goes against... the collective agreement which requires redeployment to other sections... prior to redundancy."

It added that it had tried to resolve the issue without resorting to industrial actions but meetings with government representatives failed to yield any results.

The union said it was directing its members not to meet ministers and parliamentary secretaries; not to answer the phone or communicate by e-mail or fax; and not to arrange new meetings with the public, consultants, architects, applicants, representatives of local councils, government departments and ministries.

They are also not to attend meetings abroad or not to process environmental registrations.

In reply, the planning authority said it was inexplicable that UPAP had called for industrial action when to date, the order for redeployment had not been issued.

It added that during discussions with the union, the government had reiterated its position that employees carrying out non-core functions would be redeployed to new entities, without losing any benefits they enjoyed.

Moreover, they were being offered the opportunity to apply for positions and promotions within the planning authority and the receiving entity.