More than a thousand workers turned out at Church House

Talks to try to resolve a pay dispute involving thousands of civil servants in Northern Ireland were due to take place on Thursday.

The government was due to have talks with the public service union NIPSA, which has called a three day walk-out next week for telephonists working on government switchboards.

It also urged its 20,000 members not to answer telephones in government offices.

Next week's action is the latest phase in a campaign of strikes aimed at causing maximum disruption and at putting pressure on civil service bosses and ministers.

NIPSA general secretary John Corey said on Wednesday he did not expect an early breakthrough and emphasised that all planned industrial action would be continuing.

He said: "We are in dispute because these civil service staff have been denied any 'cost of living' increase in their rates of pay from April 2003.

"This is grossly unfair treatment compared to the way government agreed 'cost of living' pay increases of more than 3% from last April for all other public servants in Northern Ireland and pay increases of up to 9% for senior civil servants."

Work-to-rule

The union has organised a series of one day strikes by all civil servants, walk-outs to attend Friday rallies and longer strikes by smaller groups.

Last week, industrial and fair employment tribunals were cancelled on Friday when staff went on strike.

The Social Security Office in Strabane, County Tyrone, has been shut all this week because of strike action.

In addition to the selective strike action all union members have been maintaining a strict work-to-rule across all departments.

Last month, thousands of civil servants took part in a one-day stoppage.

The government has imposed a pay package which will add 3.67% to the wage bill of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

However, the union said that was part of a pre-agreed increment and took no account of the rise in the cost of living.