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Hospital support staff to be balloted for strike action amid pay dispute

Support staff in hospitals and healthcare centres across the country will be balloted for strike ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

15.35 28 Dec 2018


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Hospital support staff to be b...

Hospital support staff to be balloted for strike action amid pay dispute

Newstalk
Newstalk

15.35 28 Dec 2018


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Support staff in hospitals and healthcare centres across the country will be balloted for strike action over a pay claim in the New Year.

More than 7,000 members of the SIPTU trade union will be balloted.

The union claims the Government has refused to grant a pay increase awarded to the staff through an independent job evaluation process.

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They suggest some members have been "substantially underpaid" by up to €6,000 a year.

SIPTU Divisional Organiser Paul Bell says they've been left with no other choice but to ballot for industrial action.

He said: "Since October 2018, we've been finding it extremely difficult to get a meeting with the HSE on the basis that it's now time to discuss implementation of the results of the job evaluation scheme.

“The agreed job evaluation process has independently confirmed that thousands of support staff employed directly by the HSE and in Section 38 organisations perform duties of a higher skillset than those set out in their original job descriptions."

Responding to today's announcement, the Taoiseach says he doesn't believe anyone would like to see strike action in the health service.

He suggested: "We have a pay deal with public servants - and the Government will honour that pay deal.

"That involves pay restoration next year, increments for most public servants, up to two pay increases and also special deal for new entrants... [It's] costing hundreds of millions of euro."

Earlier this month, nurses and midwives who are members of the INMO voted to go on strike.

It comes amid an ongoing dispute over staff shortages and pay, and dates for the strike action will be decided next month.


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