Local authority workers, who are members of the Fórsa trade union, will refuse to answer emails and phone calls next week in an escalation of industrial action.
There will be a 24-hour email ban on Friday, 22 September, affecting all internal and external local authority email correspondence.
This will be followed by a 48-hour telephone ban on Tuesday, 26 September and Wednesday, 27 September, to include calls on all local authority phone lines, including online video calls and social media platforms.
A ban on local government workers responding to routine queries and requests for information from politicians remains in place.
Fórsa has accused local authority management of failing to engage meaningfully with the union on the establishment of a job evaluation scheme for workers in the sector.
Job evaluation assesses if a job's grade is properly matched to its duties and responsibilities.
"There is absolute determination among Fórsa’s membership to secure an appropriate job evaluation scheme in local government, and the action due to commence next week will illustrate that determination," said Fórsa national secretary Richy Carrothers.
Fórsa represents more than 12,000 local government and services workers including clerical, administrative, management, technical and professional staff.
The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) said it has consistently advised Fórsa that this issue is broader than the local authority sector and should be dealt with at central level on a public sector wide basis.
"Following the WRC engagement, it was open to Fórsa to refer the matter to the Labour Court, instead they have chosen to commence industrial action, contrary to the provisions of the public sector pay agreement Building Momentum," a spokesperson for the LGMA said.
"Should Fórsa wish to follow the established processes within the State's industrial relations procedure, the LGMA, on behalf of local authority management, will engage with same," the spokesperson added.
