A planned strike on Monday at Ireland’s largest dementia facility has been deferred after Siptu accepted an invitation from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to engage in talks on Tuesday. On Friday, the union announced an escalation in a long-running dispute involving housekeeping staff, with a 72-hour strike at St Joseph’s Centre in Shankill, Co Dublin.However, the strikes planned for Monday and Tuesday have been postponed to allow for talks, said Siptu organiser Michelle Waller. “If no progress is made at the WRC, the strike action planned for Wednesday, 29th July, will go ahead,” she said.About 20 household and domestic staff are involved in the dispute as they pursue what the union says is substantial evolution in their roles. They say their jobs have come to involve a significant element of patient care and want that recognised in their grades and pay.The members’ claim was the subject of recent talks at the WRC, which broke down without agreement, and there have already been several one-day stoppages.St Joseph’s Centre, which is part of St John of God services, is the State’s largest care home dedicated solely to dementia care. It provides residential, respite and day care services to more than 80 people daily.In June, Siptu members voted in favour of industrial action in a ballot on the union’s claim for the regrading of household and domestic staff.“Our members met on Friday evening and agreed to defer the action at the request of the WRC,” said Waller on Saturday. “We welcome the invitation ... to engage and hope to be able to make progress on the issues in dispute at Tuesday’s conciliation conference; however, in the absence of progress, Wednesday’s proposed action will proceed.”She has said the residents were incredibly vulnerable and deserve the highest quality of care possible.In its statement on Friday, St Joseph’s said it was “disappointed” at the then-planned three-day strike after it had made several proposals in an effort to resolve the matter.“St Joseph’s Centre has been and remains focused on resolving the ongoing industrial relations matter involving household/domestic staff constructively and as quickly as possible, while continuing to safeguard the safety, dignity and wellbeing of residents, day care members and colleagues.” It criticised comments from Siptu that it said did not reflect the “shared commitment we understood both parties had to keeping resident care, dignity, respect and confidentiality at the centre of all communications.“St Joseph’s Centre does not accept a number of assertions made in Siptu’s statement, particularly in relation to staffing, training and care. Household staff have always received role-specific training appropriate to their duties.”