Unions criticise terms and deadline proposed

REACTION:TRADE UNIONS have criticised the terms on offer under the Government's voluntary redundancy scheme for health service staff.

They have expressed concern at the tight deadlines for staff to make up their minds on the schemes and at the effect the departure of large numbers of staff could have on services from the start of next year.

Impact said it would seek a better financial package. The union’s national secretary for health Louise O’Donnell also said “services could be badly affected if large-scale staffing reductions were not properly managed”.

Siptu warned that there would be a dispute if the HSE sought to use contract or agency workers to replace full-time staff who left.

Acting head of Siptu’s health division Paul Bell said: “It is another black day for the health service. At the meeting today we received no idea as to how the health service will be maintained with 4,000 fewer staff. There is no coherent plan.”

Fine Gael said that the Government’s voluntary redundancy scheme came two years too late.

Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly said: “There is no clear plan of provision as to how the services would be reorganised to cope with the sudden loss of 5,000 staff . . . There is no mention of reducing staff numbers within the Minister’s department.”

The Labour Party said it was a good idea to reduce the number of senior management and administrators within the HSE but more clarity on the plan was needed.