Pay dispute suspended at centres for people with intellectual disabilities

A dispute over unpaid premium payments for about 400 social care staff in the West of Ireland has been suspended.

Since September 8th, members of the Impact trade union have been engaged in a work-to-rule at the Brothers of Charity and Ability West services in Galway and Roscommon.

The row centred on unpaid premium or “twilight payments” given in recognition of the anti-social hours that some health care workers are rostered for duty payments.

Impact said the dispute had been suspended from last night following confirmation from the HSE that the Department of Health would seek €4million to cover the cost of arrears payments to the staff as well as a further €1 million to meet on-going costs for next year.

Impact said the HSE believed that this sum would be sufficient to cover the liabilities for the two employers in Galway and Roscommon as well as others in Cork, Limerick, Clare and Waterford where premium pay arrears were also outstanding.

The union said the new funds would meet the cost of proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission to resolve the dispute over unpaid premiums which it said dated back almost ten years.

Impact national secretary Louise O’Donnell said the confirmation of funds represented a breakthrough for the staff who, she said, had shown both courage and resolve in taking the industrial action.

“These are dedicated staff providing a vital service to people with intellectual disabilities. Taking action was a difficult choice but they had been left with no other options. They have made efforts to ensure that the action had minimal effect on service users,” she said.

The union said it would now ballot members on the proposals.