The trade union Siptu is to ballot thousands of members in the health service in the west of the country for strike action in protest at proposals being considered by the Health Service to tackle a multi-million euro financial deficit in the region.
Siptu’s senior health organiser Paul Bell said yesterday that it was necessary to hold a protective strike ballot “in case management decides to act unilaterally and implement the sort of cuts being leaked to the media in recent days”.
Following a meeting between HSE management in the mid west (which forms part of the greater HSE western region) last week, unions warned that 300 or 400 staff on temporary contracts could be affected by the new HSE cutbacks.
The HSE said last week that it had informed staff representatives in the Mid West that it would be examining all temporary work contracts.
“Currently that examination process has not been completed and there are no indications of staff numbers that will be affected”, it said.
Mr Bell said that he had written to the Labour Relations Commission notifying it of the potential for a serious dispute and seeking its assistance.
Any dispute involving the implementation of HSE cutbacks in the west would represent the first since the ratification of the Croke Park agreement last month which aimed at bringing stability to industrial relations in the public service.
Mr Bell said yesterday that “as HSE West does not seem to think the agreement applies to them our first port of call in this dispute must be the Labour Relations Commission”.
“Otherwise we may find dozens, if not hundreds of our members sacked”, he said.
In a letter sent to Siptu shop stewards in the HSE West region on Friday, Mr Bell said that he was requesting them “to commence immediate preparation for a ballot of all your members for protective strike action”.
‘This response to the ongoing speculation which has been generated by the HSE failure to engage with the constituent unions is deemed necessary in order for our members to be included in the process of generating efficiencies within the HSE West region and also protection of employment”
Mr Bell said yesterday that he could understand that local management in HSE West faced enormous pressure from above to achieve savings of at least €68 million as quickly as possible but they “will not achieve their objectives by simply passing the buck to our members in the form of job cuts - especially as our members deliver some of the most vital front line services, despite being amongst the lowest paid workers in the sector”.
“It would be hard to think of a better way of saving the least money for the taxpayer at the greatest expense to patients other than by pursuing this particular strategy. SIPTU is not going to allow our members and the vulnerable people they serve to become the first in the line of fire when it the cuts begin.”