Section 39 employers set to miss deadline for pay restoration
SIPTU representatives held discussions today (Thursday 18thApril) with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Department of Health on the implementation of pay restoration for thousands of Section 39 workers. Talks have now adjourned until Friday 10th May.
SIPTU Divisional Organiser Paul Bell said: “Following these discussions it is clear that the date (Tuesday, 30th April) for implementing pay restoration as agreed with the Government, will not be met by all Section 39 organisations. In some cases, employers have not submitted all the data required by the HSE and in other cases the data provided is not incomplete. Our members believe that this is unacceptable and are rightly outraged by this failure by management to pay them what they are owed, on time, and in full.”
He added: “Out of the 50 Section 39 organisations who agreed to pay our members what they are owed, only ten have submitted acceptable data. Each of these ten organisations will receive a letter from the HSE within the month of May confirming monies to pay the restoration due to our members. The remaining 40 organisations will be engaged by the HSE for the purpose of completing the data and oversight process.”
He added: “We want our members to know that we have challenged the HSE and Department of Health on their approach and how it is a clear breach of the agreement. While our charge is accepted by the employers, the deadline for pay restoration will not be met. However, the effective payment date remains as agreed. SIPTU representatives will be fighting to ensure our members are backdated their money from that date (Tuesday, 30th April). Section 39 Home Help and Community Care organisations based in Dublin will be addressed in a parallel engagement under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission in the coming days.”
Further updates will be made available on the SIPTU Health App.