Nash hosts Leinster House briefing for health workers
18 June 2019
Statement by The Labour Party
Senator Ged Nash today hosted a briefing in Leinster House with SIPTU health service workers who will be on strike on Thursday.
Speaking after the cross-party briefing, he said it was important for TDs and Senators to understand what has caused the dispute which will see 10,000 workers who are members of SIPTU in 38 locations across the country – including at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, the Cottage Hospital and the Louth County Hospital.
Senator Nash has called on the Government to honour their ‘solemn commitment’ to hospital support staff as the country’s acute hospitals prepare for strike action involving 10,000 staff this Thursday.
He said:
“The Government must honour their commitment to over 10,000 healthcare support staff including healthcare assistants, lab aids, chefs and porters.
“The agreed job evaluation process was carried out to see how these roles have changed over time. It found unequivocally that different levels of pay are now needed to reflect the evolution of these important roles and the skill sets of staff.
“The fact that we are now at this point where health support staff feel like they have no other option but to strike is completely the fault of the Government, who have not honoured their word to these important workers.
“It is not good enough that the Government and the Department of Public Expenditure in particular have rowed back on their commitments to health support staff. Workers and their union took it in good faith that this commitment would be honoured but the government has not fulfilled its part of the bargain.
“It is worth recalling that this process took place within the framework of the public sector pay agreement. When negotiations take place between the trade union movement and the government’s own employees, it is absolutely paramount that the Government uphold their end of the bargain.
“Thursday’s industrial action could have been totally avoided if this Government had any clue about good industrial relations and if they had any respect for hospital staff.
“The workers and their trade union SIPTU have Labour’s full support ahead of this week’s industrial action.”
Ends.