Dublin City Councillor suggests council staff may be involved in a coup

[David Cochrane]

Three weeks ago IMPACT instructed local authority and public service staff to not deal with any motions, questions or queries from any Councillors or TDs from Fianna Fail and the Green Party, this was similarly followed by SIPTU who told their members to do likewise with Fianna Fail, the Green Party and Fine Gael.

Cllr Paul McAuliffe (Fianna Councillor for Finglas/Ballymun) posted the following to his fanpage on Facebook....

On the issue of only dealing with Cllr from particluar parties I would like to remind SIPTU and IMPACT of the following. Historian Edward Luttwak says: “A coup consists of the infiltration of a small, but critical, segment of the state apparatus, which is then used to displace a government from its control of the remainder”, thus, armed force (either military or paramilitary) is not a defining feature of a coup d’état.

Personally, I find the idea of any councillors being prevented from doing any work to be quite apalling. So, on top of a work to rule (where council staff won't answer phones or attend council meetings in the evening) is getting more advanced. And from speaking to some councillors (from many parties) this morning, it looks like this is getting nastier....

What are your thoughts, are the council staff right to refuse to deal with the government parties, or should they do the job they're paid to do? And what of SIPTU's boycot of Fine Gael too? Does that make any sense?

I'm not sure if I personally think we're at the coup stage yet, but does Cllr McAuliffe have a point?

[borntorum]

Working to rule is pathetic behaviour. I'd respect them a lot more if they had the balls to strike. It's disturbing that the unions are deliberately targetting councillors from certain parties.

[The Dude]

It's not just council staff, and it's not just councillors. TDs are getting no joy either from many departments.

[dunno]

Not dealing with coalition party related queries gives this action an unpleasant political tinge. I wonder if they have work to rules in the private sector. Hmmmm.

[Libero]

If the Councillor and his colleagues feel this is misbehaviour, there are ways for them to move to discipline those involved.

But of course, the Councillor and his colleagues will be nervous of causing escalation and, ultimately, losing votes from even-more embittered public sector workers and those close to them.

Which is, perhaps, why the politicians moan and grumble (and even make laughable references to coups) but don't do much about it.

[FrankSpeaks]

Those in charge need to grow a pair of balls, disciplinary action followed by sacking if necessary would soon sort things out.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Sack the lot of them. There are 400,000 ready to take their place.

[dunno]

If the report is accurate, there has to be disciplinary action, but that won't happen.

Sort of OT, bringing the Motor Tax office (Nutgrove but all in Dublin are DCC operated) into the strike action is poor. Its opening hours in Dublin have reduced sharply since benchmarking, and now this. Still it barely matters as half the hatches are usually closed, and a hatch open for queries now that the one beside the door is closed (how considerate of disabled people they are), is an extra one.

[godot666]

Yet again another thread to bash the Public Service workers with shouts of "Sackings", "Disciplinary Actions" and "pathetic behavior".

[Sierra]

Has the link been removed, David?

Anyway - disciplinary action should be taken in my view. No matter what people say these are elected officials. The council staff are in essence attacking the State itself by not carrying out their duties.