SIPTU MEMBERS employed by the FDYS at the Jungle Box Crèche on Francis Street took to the picket line last over a dispute about changes to sick leave benefit and the company’s refusal to deal with the union.

The picket ran for two hours on Wednesday last and saw the crèche open later than usual.

SIPTU Organiser, Gerry Flanagan, said: “Our members have been left with no option but to engage in this strike action due to the conduct of management during this dispute. Despite FDYS being a publically funded organisation, the management has attempted to force through a change to the conditions of employment of its staff while refusing to negotiate with their union or attend the Labour Relations Commission.”
He added: “The staff of FDYS provides vital services to the local community including childcare and the running of youth groups. They are widely respected for their contribution to the community and it is only due to the extreme intransigence of management that they have been forced into taking this action when they would much prefer to be continuing on with their work.”

In response, the FDYS said in a statement that the organisation had had to cut its expenditure in recent years but achieved that without any pay cuts or redundancies. However, to maintain the services provided, the organisation says it had to bring sick pay back in line with industry standards – reducing it from 12 weeks to seven days.

The FDYS says that many staff had accepted this but some had not, adding that the company had procedures through which employees could voice their concerns and theses were open to all staff.