26/02/2010

Passport Offices Hit By Strike

Public service industrial action in the Dublin and Cork passport offices is expected to cause severe delays for those using the service today.

From lunchtime today public counters will not be staffed and telephones will not be answered.

The action is part of a response against pay cuts by unions. The issue has being running for a number of weeks but is beginning to intensify.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said all passport collections from the offices must take place before 1pm and no new passport applications will be accepted until Monday.

Similar actions by members of the Civil Public and Service Union and the Public Service Executive Union will take place today across a range of other Government departments and offices, including Social Welfare offices.

A ban on answering phones is also expected to be put in key Government departments for a period today and civil servants are expected to disrupt the preparations for Ministers taking part in adjournment debates in the Dáil.

The action could also affect ministers answering oral parliamentary questions (PQs) as the industrial action over pay cuts grows in scope.

(DW/GK)

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