Search
10 Nov 2025
Search
10 Nov 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Laois County Council County Hall in Portlaoise.
Fórsa, the union representing civil servants among others, has written to Laois Chief Executive John Mulholland giving notice of industrial action.
They are taking the action in an ongoing dispute with the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) over what Fórsa say is their refusal to establish a job evaluation scheme.
The industrial action will begin with an “indefinite ban on engagement on all political representations (verbal and written)” from Wednesday, June 21.
“A telephone ban on the 22nd June 2023 - this includes the use of work landline and mobile phones, work telephone calls via online platforms such as MS teams, and work calls via social media platforms such as WhatsApp phone/video and the use of personal mobile phones for work issues,” will begin the following day.
Fórsa is the second largest union on the island of Ireland and by far the largest trade union voice in the Irish civil and public service.
The union was formed following the amalgamation of the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU), IMPACT and the Public Service Executive Union (PSEU) on January 2, 2018.
Assistant General Secretary of the Laois branch, Tony Martin sent the letter giving notice to Mr Mulholland.
“I am writing to inform you that Fórsa members in local authorities have been instructed to take industrial action in furtherance to our dispute to achieve job evaluation in the sector,” he wrote.
The letter states that further action will be taken in the coming weeks and Mr Mulholland would be notified beforehand.
“Attempts to circumvent or undermine this action may lead to the immediate escalation of the action. Equally so, any attempts to intimidate or threaten Fórsa members engaging in this legitimate action, may lead to the immediate escalation of the dispute,” Mr Martin explained.
“Fórsa remains available to discuss derogation requests for emergency cover, providing that it is genuine emergency cover and limited in nature,” he concluded.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
