The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and SIPTU have confirmed that no meaningful engagement with the employer CareDoc has taken place to avert this dispute. Funding paid by HSE to CareDoc has not been paid to the employees in question. Therefore, industrial action will still be going ahead this week, next week and over the Christmas period. Industrial action taking place in the form of a 24-hour strike will begin at 8am on December 18th.
Tomorrow’s pickets will take place from 10am - 2pm. Key union spokespeople will be available to speak to media at the Carlow site. All media requests should be directed to the INMO and SIPTU Press Offices. Pickets will take place in the following locations:
- Carlow: St. Dympna’s Hospital, Athy Road, Carlow, R93 DE62
- Waterford: HSE Community Care, Cork Road, Waterford, X91 VX09
- Wexford: Primary Care Centre, Grogan’s Road, Townparks, Wexford Town, Y35 DA39
- Kilkenny: Ayrfield Medical Centre, Granges Road, Ayrfield, Kilkenny, R95 P2EF
- Clonmel: The County Clinic, Western Road, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, E91 HT96
The unions at the centre of this dispute, the INMO and SIPTU, are seeking the implementation of the 2023 WRC pay agreement for Section 39 organisations, specifically the 8% increase due to members working in CareDoc. The HSE has already provided €647,834 to Caredoc for the purpose of paying this increase to staff the unions are seeking for this to be applied without delay. Thus far money paid by the HSE has not been applied to members’ salaries.
INMO Industrial Relations Officer Gráinne Walsh said:
It is clear that CareDoc have no solution or alternative plan to avert the action. Their hands-off attitude to paying staff what they are owed is now back-firing. It is clear from their public commentary that they seem to be philosophically opposed to using their profits to pay their staff a fair wage.
The action being taken by the INMO and SIPTU will cause disruption at one of the busiest times for out-of-hours services. It will also have knock on impacts on other out-of-hours services in the North-East. Our members have no desire to withdraw their services in the middle of winter, but all other avenues have been exhausted. We are willing to meet with management and to consider an interim proposal that delivers the funds already provided, along with an agreed mechanism to resolve the outstanding matters. However, Caredoc must demonstrate a genuine willingness to engage.
SIPTU Health Division Industrial Organiser, Ger McNally said:
SIPTU members have remained available to engage with management to find a resolution throughout this process. Unfortunately, in the absence of any meaningful proposal from management we are left with no alternative but to engage in the proposed Industrial action.”
CareDoc management knows what is needed to resolve this dispute. We call on Caredoc and the HSE to use the remaining time to bring forward proposals that will resolve this dispute.
ENDS
Notes to Editors