Health and community workers back WRC pay proposals

The three unions representing workers employed community and voluntary sector agencies, SIPTU, Fórsa and the INMO, have confirmed that members of all three unions have given strong backing to a set of proposals, brokered last month during talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), for an interim agreement on pay for workers in Section 39, 56 and 10 organisations.

The ICTU-led coalition of unions will now request that the WRC reconvene the parties. The WRC proposals led to the suspension of planned indefinite strike action, which had been due to commence in 17 employments across the country in October.

The proposals include pay increases backdated to April 2023, along with commitments to address the funding issues in the sector, providing for the parties to reconvene under the auspices of the WRC no later than 1st December next. The purpose of this engagement will be to agree further adjustments in funding for organisations and their staff that will have regard to the terms of the Building Momentum public service pay agreement and the terms of any successor public pay agreement.

The proposals backed by the unions provide for the following pay adjustments:
• An Increase of 3% from 1st April 2023 (backdated)
• An Increase of 2% from 1st November 2023
• An Increase of 3% from 1st March 2024
The dispute followed years of pay disparity between workers in Section 39 (health and disability services) Section 56 (services to children), Section 10 (homeless services), in community services and their counterparts employed directly by the state.

Because of that pay gap, union research has shown that workers are leaving their jobs – in large numbers – to take better-paid employment elsewhere. The turnover of staff in the sector is around 30% per year. The staffing crisis is adding to recruitment costs and longer waiting lists.

SIPTU radiographers in Galway vote for industrial action

Radiographers in University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action up to and including strike action in a dispute over safe staffing levels. The result follows months of frustration over recruitment and retention issues at the two hospital sites which have left SIPTU members facing a significant extra workload amid a 20 percent staffing deficit.

Proposals put forward by SIPTU representatives to address these issues have been rejected by management in recent weeks. Management’s reluctance to consider additional out-of-hours services in particular is at odds with the stated positions of the Minister of Health and HSE CEO. University Hospital Galway is one of the few hospitals and acute stroke centres in Ireland that does not provide an on-site radiographer at out-of-hours times for CT scans.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, John McCamley, said: “There is a growing demand for qualified radiographers across Ireland. As a result, fundamental changes must be made to attract radiographers to Galway. If these are not forthcoming, there will be a full-blown crisis in both hospitals.

“SIPTU representatives are concerned that staffing deficits for radiographers in Galway could cause significant safety issues. We are calling for immediate action to be taken by management to address recruitment and retention.”

Health workers in the community and voluntary sector to commence indefinite strike action

The ICTU group of unions representing health and community workers, employed in community and voluntary sector agencies funded by the HSE and other state agencies, have announced today (Monday) that indefinite strike action, in several selected employments nationwide, is to commence from Tuesday 17th October next.

The union group, led by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), said the strike action will involve thousands of health and community workers in a variety of grades and in multiple locations, bringing services to a halt.

The decision to strike follows ballots carried out by Fórsa, the INMO and SIPTU. All three unions said ballot returns showed a high level of participation in the ballot, and overwhelming support for industrial action, up to and including strikes.

Workers in the following employments will take indefinite strike action from Tuesday 17th October:
Ardeen Cheshire Ireland
Ability West
Cheshire Ireland
Cheshire Dublin
Cheshire Home Newcastle West
Co-action West Cork
Cobh Hospital
Daughters Of Charity Child and Family Service
DePaul Ireland
Don Bosco Care
Enable Ireland (nationwide, including Cork, Tralee, East Coast and Midwest regions)
Family Resource Centres
Irish Wheelchair Association
Kerry Parents and Friends Association
St. Catherines Association Ltd
St. Josephs Foundation
St. Lukes Nursing Home
Trinity Community Care
Western Care Association

The ballot for industrial action took place following the breakdown of WRC talks in July and follows years of pay disparity between these workers and their counterparts employed directly by the state.

While these agencies are largely state-funded, workers employed in a range of health professional, clinical, clerical and administrative grades, are on lesser terms and conditions than their HSE counterparts. The pay differential is in excess of 10%.

ICTU general secretary Owen Reidy said the strike action is an inevitable consequence of the failure of the Government to address a serious and growing problem with how the agencies are funded, and a recruitment and retention crisis in vital services: “Workers in the sector now have chosen to take action because the State, as the chief funding body for these services, has failed to grasp the seriousness of the staffing crisis in this sector,” he said.

SIPTU Health division official Kevin Figgis said: “The decision to strike clearly demonstrates the level of frustration our members feel at the dysfunctional way in which parts of the community healthcare system is funded.

“Our members involved in this dispute provide essential health services on behalf of the State. Should voluntary providers continue to have recruitment and retention issues, and are no longer able to provide these services, there will be an obligation on the HSE to step in and provide them directly.

“These services will need to be appropriately funded. Pay parity with the public service is necessary to ensure the provision of vital public services to vulnerable people in our communities. It’s an acknowledged fact that the current funding model is unsustainable and will need to be resolved to secure the future of these services,” he said.

Fórsa Health and Welfare official Ashley Connolly said: “This is the action of last resort, and it has been a difficult decision for these workers, but they’ve been left with no more options.

“The Government has been dragging its feet on the issue for years, while making conciliatory noises to health workers who urgently need pay improvements. Their colleagues are walking out the door for better terms elsewhere, and waiting lists for the services these agencies offer continue to grow as a result.

“There’s a yawning pay gap of more than 10%. Services cannot be sustained as long as that continues,“ she said.

INMO official Albert Murphy said: “Nurses in the community and voluntary sector provide essential services to some of the most vulnerable people in society. They have not been afforded the same level of pay increases as their colleagues in the HSE, which is exacerbating a recruitment and retention crisis in the sector.

“Nurses in the sector are now facing into another winter with rising household costs, yet their salaries remain stagnant.

“The Government cannot continue to bury its head in the sand over the very real issues at the heart of this dispute. It’s hard for our members to take that while the exchequer has enjoyed record returns, and the state continues to deny vital pay improvements to thousands of workers in this vital health sector.”

SIPTU Public Administration and Community division official Karan O’Loughlin added: “Our members have opted to take action as the wage cuts, unilaterally imposed more than a decade ago, have been reversed all over the economy while our members have been left behind. It’s unacceptable.

“Government inaction and delay has only served to put these vital community services at risk and leave our members to feel as though they have no option to withdraw their labour,” she said.

Member Update – Section 39 Process

Dear Member,

We write further to our last update of 31st July in which we advised of the breakdown in talks between the relevant government departments and unions on pay justice for the Section 39 sector.

On that occasion, we detailed how unions would be consulting with members internally regarding the next steps for our campaign.

These consultations have now taken place and the unions will proceed to ballot members in several Section 39 agencies for industrial and strike action.

The organisations that will be balloted by SIPTU Health are as follows:

Cheshire Ireland
Ability West Galway
Western Care Association Mayo
St Joseph’s Foundation Cork
St. Luke’s Home Cork
Cobh Centre (Community Hospital)
Co. Action West Cork
Kerry Parents and Friends
Trinity Community Care CLG, Dublin

Ballots will also be conducted in several other organisations by our colleague unions.

We intend to commence the ballot on the week beginning on the 4th of September. Members in these organisations will be informed locally of balloting arrangements in advance.

It is important for members in all Section 39 agencies to support those taking action in pursuit of pay justice in the sector. This campaign may need to be escalated in the coming weeks and months.

It is more important than ever for members in Section 39 agencies to talk to their colleagues about the value of SIPTU membership and to encourage them to join in the pursuit of pay justice.

United, we will win.

SIPTU members in National Ambulance Service vote overwhelmingly for strike action

SIPTU members in the National Ambulance Service (NAS) have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute resulting from the failure of management to fully implement the recommendations of a report on the reform and modernisation of the service.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Ted Kenny, said: “The ballot which was counted on Friday (5th May) has returned a result of more than 95% in favour of strike action. The dispute has resulted from a failure of NAS management to fully implement the recommendation of the Review of Roles and Responsibilities Report which was jointly commissioned by the NAS, SIPTU and the HSE in 2018.

“This huge vote in favour of taking action demonstrates our members’ determination to ensure their employer honours its agreement in full when it comes to implementing widespread reform at the NAS.

“Our members have fully co-operated with a plan drawn up by management to develop the service and they expect commitments concerning new grades and pay scales, which were made to them, to be met. It is the function of management to secure the necessary funding to deliver the agreed vision for the service. This includes any payments arising to staff as part of their overall restructuring plan.”

He added: “We have advised NAS management of the outcome of our ballot. The exact date and nature of the industrial action that will now be taken will be finalised in consultation with our members.”

SIPTU members in the National Ambulance Service begin ballot for strike action

SIPTU members in the National Ambulance Service (NAS) have begun a ballot for strike action in a dispute regarding the failure of the HSE to fully implement a series of reforms which would benefit this vital public service.

The series of proposed reforms are contained in the Roles and Responsibilities Report for NAS, which was commissioned by NAS management, SIPTU and the HSE. It’s recommendations include the introduction of new grades of staff, new job descriptions and the upskilling of existing staff.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Ted Kenny, said: “This report provides for a proposed new structure for the service, which includes revised pay scales for our members. Following months of intensive, local engagement on this issue with NAS management our representatives are deeply concerned that it is yet to be implemented.

“Our members have fully co-operated with the plan drawn up by management to develop the service and they expect commitments concerning new grades and pay scales which were made to them to be met. Our members will not accept any deviation from the reality that it is management’s function to secure the necessary funding to deliver the agreed vision for the service. This includes any payments arising to staff as part of their overall restructuring plan.”

He added: “SIPTU is of the view that the business case for the implementation of this report is outside the terms of the Building Momentum Public Service Agreement. We do not accept the premise that delivery of the service level aspects of the plan are permitted yet the commitments to staff in return are deemed to be a cost increasing claim. It is the function of management to secure the necessary funding to deliver the commitments it has made.”

The ballot for strike action will conclude on Thursday 4th May 2023.

INMO and SIPTU prepare for industrial action over Clifden District Hospital Failures

Members of SIPTU and INMO are preparing to ballot for industrial action due to the failure of the HSE in St. Anne’s CNU and Clifden District Hospital, Clifden, Co. Galway to engage with the trade unions under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission, following the unilateral imposition of rosters and failure to be transparent in the future of Clifden District Hospital.

Conciliation talks under the auspices of the WRC failed to progress due to management’s refusal to comply with the provisions of the Public Service Agreement as it pertains to roster changes and service reconfiguration of the service delivered from Clifden District Hospital.
It is the belief of our members that management have orchestrated a situation whereby there is critical shortage of nurses leading to an inability to maintain services on both sites. The blatant lack of workforce planning has resulted in this situation occurring.

Management proceeded to unilaterally impose rosters and have failed to provide any cogent information regarding the future of Clifden District Hospital.

Staff and the community are very concerned regarding the future of Clifden District Hospital.

WRC-proposed public pay package skewed to lower paid

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) this morning (Tuesday) proposed a public service pay package aimed at resolving differences between public service unions and Government officials following over 19 hours of talks. The ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC) subsequently met to consider the proposal at 10.00am today.

The package would see pay increases of 3% with effect from 2nd February 2022, 2% from 1st March 2023 and 1.5% or €750 (whichever is the greater) from 1st October 2023. This is in addition to 1% or €500, whichever is greater, due at the beginning of October 2022.

The minimum payment of €750 a year from next October means the package would be worth 8% to a worker earning €25,000 a year and 7% to a person on €37,500 a year.

This morning’s PSC meeting decided that individual unions should now consult members, through ballots and other means, on the package in advance of a collective decision on whether to accept or reject the package. This will take place at a further PSC meeting on Friday 7th October, where voting will be weighted to reflect the number of public servants that each union represents.

PSC chairperson Kevin Callinan said he believed the outcome of this long process was the best that could currently be achieved through negotiations.

“We’ll now be explaining this package to union members, who will have the final say in ballots. Neither side has achieved all it sought, but this package is a significant improvement on the pay terms of Building Momentum, and it is worth more to those who need it most. This underlines the importance of the unions’ decision to invoke the review clause in the current agreement.

“Over the past weeks, Minister McGrath and his Government colleagues have repeatedly promised to supplement pay measures with other cost-of-living supports through the Labour-Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) process and the forthcoming Budget. Workers will now expect delivery on that promise. A Government failure to deliver will certainly impact the ballots that will shortly get underway,” he said.

PSC secretary John King said the PSC was also recommending that planned industrial action ballots be suspended while unions consult on the WRC package.

The pay talks resumed at noon yesterday (29th August) after a ten-week hiatus during which the Government said it was reflecting on its position. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath said his revised offer was final, although union negotiators held out for an improved sum for lower paid public servants.
The total 2022-2023 increases due under the WRC-proposed package would be:

1) 2nd February 2022 3%

2) 1st October 2022 1% or €500 a year (whichever is the greater). Note, this was agreed under the original Building Momentum agreement

3) 1st March 2023 2%

4) 1st October 2023 1.5% or €750 (whichever is the greater).

These are in addition to Building Momentum increases of 1% or €500 a year (whichever is greater in October 2021, plus a sectoral bargaining fund worth 1% of annualised basic pay from 1st February 2022.

John King also said that the Union would holding a meeting of its National Executive Council as part of a process to commence consultations with members immediately, in advance of commencing a ballot vote for acceptance or rejection of the proposal’s.

SIPTU public service members commence consultation process for industrial action

SIPTU organisers in the public service representing members in the Health, Local Authority, Education and State sectors, are today commencing a consultation exercise with its members in advance of ballots for industrial action over pay later in August.

SIPTU Deputy General Secretary John King said: “Balloting for industrial action will begin on 29th August if there is no successful outcome to the talks on a review of the ‘Building Momentum’ agreement. The Workplace Relations Commission has invited the Public Service Committee of Congress to talks but the government side has said that it is not in a position to attend until the end of the month. While we have welcomed the invitation, we intend to continue the consultation process with our members and, in the absence of a set of proposals that can be put to our members, the ballots for industrial action will commence.”

The Public Services Committee of Congress invoked the provisions of the review clause in ‘Building Momentum’ on 11th March, 2022 when inflation was at 5.6% and when it was clear that the modest terms of the public service agreement, concluded in January 2021, were being completely eroded by the dramatic increase in the cost of living for workers. With inflation now running at 9.1%, union members are becoming increasingly frustrated at the Government’s failure to conclude an acceptable review of the pay terms of the Agreement.

SIPTU public service members to prepare for industrial action over Government failure to review Agreement

SIPTU members across the public service will commence a consultation exercise in advance of ballots for industrial action over the failure of the Government to conclude an acceptable review of the pay provisions of the ‘Building Momentum’ Public Service Agreement. The consultation will involve union members and activists in the health service, local government, education and the State sectors in the coming weeks.

SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, John King, said that by refusing to re-engage with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to deal with escalation in the cost of living, the Government is in breach of the terms of the current Agreement.

John King said: “The Public Services Committee of Congress invoked the provisions of the review clause on the 11th March 2022 when inflation was at 5.6% and when it was clear that the modest terms of the Agreement, concluded in January 2021, were being completely eroded by the dramatic increase in the cost of living for workers. With inflation now running at 9.1%, the Government’s failure to re-engage at the WRC is no longer tenable.”

He added: “Talks at the WRC were deferred on 17th June when the Government side claimed it needed time to reflect. With the Dáil now in recess until early to mid-September, it is clear that it is not prepared to engage in meaningful discussions on the cost of living crisis. In these circumstances, we are now left with no alternative other than to ballot our members in order to protect their standard of living.”