06/12/2024 Comments are off SIPTU Health Admin
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Report shows major pay gap between Health Care Assistants in public and private employment

A new report from the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) has revealed a significant pay gap between the earnings of Health Care Assistants (HCAs) in the public and private sectors in some European countries, including Ireland.

The Report, Wage Watch: A Comparative Study of Health Care Assistant and Nurse Wages Across Europe, drew from the expertise of affiliate trade unions from fifteen European countries. As the Union of Health Care Assistants in Ireland, SIPTU contributed to the study. When all payments are factored in, the Report found a 30% wage gap between HCAs employed in public and private settings in Ireland.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Sharon Cregan, said: “The EPSU report vindicates what SIPTU has been saying for years. There is a big disparity in pay between public and private healthcare for HCAs. The Report seems to indicate that it is not just an issue in Ireland.

“Current starting pay for a HCA commencing employment in the public service is €16.92 per hour and this rises to €21.39 per hour when they reach the top of their incremental pay scale. In theory, a HCA in the private sector could earn as little as minimum wage which is currently set at €12.70 per hour.

“Private healthcare employments are often hostile to trade unions, resulting in workers within such employments having no access to collective bargaining. Without collective bargaining, they lack effective means of securing decent pay rates and enhanced terms and conditions of employment.”

Cregan added: “SIPTU has continuously called for a collective means of addressing pay in the private nursing home and home care sectors. We are also calling for HCAs in all settings and employments to be recognised and adequately remunerated for the essential role they play within the healthcare system.”

HCAs in the public service have seen their annualised salary increase by approximately 24% between 2016 and 2023. They are due further pay increases on annualised salary under the current Public Service Pay Agreement of more than a cumulative 5% up to June 2026.

You can access more information on the report here.

30/10/2024 Comments are off SIPTU Health Admin
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HCAs Have Your Say – SIPTU’s Election 2024 Survey

Yesterday, October 29th was the International Day of Care and Support. It’s a day that we take stock and honour the resilience and dedication of care workers across the globe.

From those who care for the elderly to those providing vital health services in our communities, care workers are at the heart of our society’s wellbeing.

It is also a day that we look to the future.

That is why SIPTU, the Union of Health Care Assistants (HCAs) in Ireland, is launching our Election 2024 Survey.

We what to hear about the big issues are impacting HCAs. The survey will inform our Union’s campaign priorities in the upcoming general election; and beyond.

SIPTU represents almost 20,000 HCAs in both public and private healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and in the community.

By standing together, SIPTU members have campaigned for; and won, real benefits for healthcare workers in Ireland.

Please take two minutes to fill out our survey here. You don’t need to be a member of SIPTU to participate.

Together, we are stronger.

21/07/2023 Comments are off SIPTU Health Admin
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SIPTU says further solutions needed to address staffing issues in home care sector

SIPTU representatives have called on the Government to engage in meaningful dialogue to seek comprehensive solutions to the recruitment and retention crisis in the home support sector.

In response to the announcement by health minister, Stephen Donnelly, that State-funded home support providers will receive an increase in funding in order to pay workers the living wage, SIPTU Sector Organiser, Pat Flannery, said that it will not fully address issues in the sector.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Pat Flannery said; “While we acknowledge the Government’s efforts to address some of the challenges in the sector, the announced pay increase falls short of what is needed to effectively tackle the current recruitment and retention issues faced by home support services.

“The current Living Wage in Ireland is €13.10 per hour. In the public service, a healthcare support assistant can start on more than €16 per hour. This will rise to more than €20 per hour for those who reach the top of their salary scale. In addition, public service healthcare support assistants enjoy union-negotiated benefits such as access to a pension scheme, paid sick leave, sufficient contracted hours and premium payments for unsociable hours. These are not often a feature in contracts of employment in the voluntary and private sectors.

“It is crucial to understand that the proposals do not go far enough in providing a sustainable solution for the voluntary home support sector. Progress in this area is far too slow to date and the Government needs to stop taking a piecemeal approach to this issue.
“Our members want the Government to engage in meaningful dialogue with their trade union to explore more comprehensive solutions to the recruitment and retention crisis in the home support sector.”

21/06/2023 Comments are off SIPTU Health Admin
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SIPTU warns of crisis due to pay disparity in public and private home care services

SIPTU representatives have today (Wednesday, 21st June) warned that the disparity in pay between workers in public and private home care services is leading to a staffing crisis in the sector which is severely affecting vulnerable clients.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Pat Flannery, said “The reality is that staff are moving from private and voluntary services to the public service as the HSE is moving to recruit Healthcare Support Assistants. Staff are voting with their feet and opting to work for an employer that provides better terms and conditions of employment. It is our firm belief that private and voluntary providers will continue to struggle to recruit if the issue of pay is not addressed.”

The warning comes on a day that the Dáil will debate a motion tabled by the Regional Group regarding the crisis in home care and shortages in home help hours. Among the measures called for in the motion is that the Government ensure that all training for people engaging in the home care industry is paid for by the State to assist private providers in replacing staff who have moved to jobs within the HSE.

Flannery said: “The ‘Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Healthcare Assistants’ was published in September 2022 and contained 16 recommendations aimed at alleviating staffing issues in the sector. To date, the Government has only implemented one of these recommendations, which was to increase the number of work permits available for home carers to come from outside the EU to work in Ireland.

“The permits made available are for full-time positions with a minimum salary of €27,000. A Healthcare Support Assistant in the HSE can earn up to €40,738 working full-time and has access to far more favourable terms and conditions of employment including premium payments, travel and mileage payments, as well as access to a pension scheme. These benefits are not available to their private and voluntary sector counterparts in many instances.”

He added: “The absurdity of the situation is that many private and voluntary providers are contracted to provide services on behalf of the State. Yet staff are leaving these services to take up employment directly with the HSE due to the more favourable conditions of employment.”

06/12/2022 Comments are off SIPTU Health Admin
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SIPTU says employment permits do not resolve retention issues of home care workers

A recent government announcement that 1,000 General Employment permits will be made available for home care workers from January 2023 will not address the core issues of recruitment and retention of carers in the home care sector, according to SIPTU Organiser, Pat Flannery.

He said: “SIPTU members have previously raised concerns following publication of the ‘Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Healthcare Assistants’ in September 2022 that the recommendations did not go far enough to address the crisis of staffing within the sector.

“The announcement made on 30th November last by junior minister, Damien English, that work permits will be made available for home care workers from January 2023 shows a lack of imagination in how the Department intends to deal with the shortage of Health Care Assistants in the home care sector.

“Our members are concerned that the disparity in basic pay and in terms and conditions of employment will continue to exist between workers in public and private employments within the home care sector. As a consequence, workers will continue to vote with their feet and go to work in public employments.

“We note that Damien English has said that the permits being made available will be for full-time positions with a minimum salary of €27,000. A Health Care Support Assistant in the HSE can earn up to €38, 290 and has access to far more favourable terms and conditions of employment including premium payments, travel and mileage payments, as well as access to a pension scheme, which is not available to their private sector counterparts in many instances.

“SIPTU is calling on the minister to prioritise addressing poorer working conditions within the private home care sector and for the Union to be represented on the ‘Implementation Group for the Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group’ which has been established by the Department of Health.”

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