The Association of Senior Civil Servants and the Public Service (AHCPS) has called for government department workers to move to a four-day working week.
The AHCPS met in Dublin today for their annual Delegate Conference and passed two resolutions calling for a shorter working week.
Delegates called on their union to support the Irish Trade Union Congress’ campaign for a four-day week and look to introduce “Work Condensing Programmes” across departments and divisions.
Another resolution called for the AHCPS to formally adhere to the principles of the Irish Four Day Campaign and officially join the group.
Four day week activist Margaret Cox, director of the ICE Group, was the guest speaker at today’s AHCPS conference, reports RTE.
A spokesperson for the NDP’s Department of Public Expenditure, Delivery and Reform said the Department had no comment on the prospect of introducing a four-day week for the public sector.
Delegates representing the 3,600 members of the AHCPS in 50 branches of government, both commercial and non-commercial, also adopted many other resolutions.
The Department of Health has tabled a motion calling for “the privacy rights of members in the workplace” after government ministers said recordings of internal public service work sessions were made without consent and released to the media. followed by “in the public interest”, reports RTE.
Another motion, filed by the Human Resources Department of the Garda Síochána, criticized the government’s actions to amend the employment conditions under the Police and Community Security Act.
The General Secretary of the AHCPS, Ciaran Rohan, said it was an indication of a significant and worrying change in policy.
“We have serious concerns about the precedence that will be set if the Government succeeds in changing the terms and conditions of our members in An Garda Síochána, with no meaningful engagement. Essentially, they are proposing to reclassify them as direct staff of An Garda Síochána, rather than civil servants – meaning that they will lose the ability to transfer within the wider civil service and the career progression that is facilitated with that mobility,” Mr Rohan said, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.