Racing may be disrupted by strike
Tuesday, 9 February 2010 16:46Mandate Trade Union has issued strike notice on the Turf Club on behalf of its members in the Turf Club Officials Association (TCOA).
The 32 members of the TCOA, which includes officials who carry out stewarding duties and are the sole regulators and enforcers of the rules of horseracing in Ireland, are striking over issues relating to pay and the slashing of the integrity budget.
According to Mandate and the officials there is a strong possibility of resolving the dispute ahead of the strike, but that is only if both parties agree to attend the Labour Court.
Mandy Kane, Divisional Organiser for Mandate Trade Union said: 'The strike may affect several events on the Irish horseracing calendar including Clonmel and Leopardstown, but we want to be quite clear in stating that the officials do not want to go on strike and would much prefer to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible.
'You simply cannot go about business in the way that the Turf Club have. They have already unilaterally imposed income cuts on our members and are now attempting to impose further cuts which will have a devastating effect, not only on our members and their families standards of living, but also on the integrity of the horseracing industry in Ireland.'
