Voluntary bodies seek ‘urgent’ intervention by Taoiseach to prevent strike

A coalition of umbrella bodies representing hundreds of charities and voluntary organisations providing health and social services on behalf of the Government has written to the Taoiseach asking for an “urgent and immediate intervention” in a dispute that threatens to deprive thousands of service users of supports this month.

About 5,000 workers at organisations including Enable Ireland, Cheshire Ireland and Depaul are due to strike on October 17th after an offer involving a pay increase of 5 per cent was rejected by the three unions representing staff in the sector, Fórsa, Siptu and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

Unusually, the employers – the charities and voluntary organisations affected – have expressed support for the pay claims they say are badly needed to allow them to retain staff routinely tempted by better pay and conditions in the public sector. They argue, however, that the Government ultimately retains control over the situation as its funding dictates the level of pay which had previously been linked to the public sector.

On Thursday seven chief executives and chairs at umbrella bodies representing organisations operating in the sector including Ivan Cooper, chief executive at The Wheel, the national association of charities, delivered a letter to Leo Varadkar.

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“We are extremely concerned that, halfway through this period of strike notice, there is as yet no evidence of any progress or serious initiative to resolve the matter,” the officials wrote.

“Thousands of vulnerable families and individuals are already impacted by the pay and retention crisis that led to this dispute, resulting in delayed or curtailed service delivery and ever-lengthening waiting lists.

“An intervention by the Taoiseach to ensure delivery of adequate, sustainable Government funding for retention and recruitment of staff in our sector,” they argued, would “prevent additional suffering for the most vulnerable families and individuals in our society that will otherwise result from indefinite strike action.

“In the absence of a resolution, the ability of organisations to deliver services to the most vulnerable will be very severely compromised,” they wrote.

John Dolan, of the Disability Federation of Ireland, said the pay situation was having a “disastrous” impact on the ability of organisations such as the Irish Wheelchair Association and Enable Ireland to deliver the care their service users depend on.

“Staff shortages are a huge problem,” he said, “but even where organisations do manage to recruit, the levels of turnover being experienced have a frightful impact on everyone.

“If you’re a disabled person, and you’re going into services, it is really critical that there’s continuity in the relationships and the people. So, this turnover of staff is absolutely awful.”

Other signatories included Marian Quinn, chairwoman of the Coalition of Túsla Funded Organisations, Catherine Kenny of the Dublin Homeless Network, and Wayne Stanley of Simon Communities of Ireland.

A Government representative said: “The sustainability and stability of health and social care sectors are a concern for Government and we recognise the ability of voluntary organisations to pay their staff is highly dependent on State funding. The Government is therefore committed to resolving this issue.

“In the meantime the Government is working with the relevant agencies [Tusla/HSE] who are engaged in contingency planning with the employer organisations that will be affected by industrial action, so that any impact on those who depend on these essential services can be managed to the greatest extent possible.

“We encourage the unions and employers to return to the WRC process to avoid industrial action and the negative impacts this will have the people and families using these services.”