THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has withdrawn proposals for an early retirement scheme and a new incentivised career break arrangement put forward in recent weeks for staff in the health sector.
The HSE said last night that it was not in a position to offer the schemes as trade unions had advised members not to co-operate with plans for the redeployment and reassignment of staff.
HSE management believes that arrangements to redeploy personnel within the health service are crucial to facilitate the reduction in staffing numbers under the early retirement and incentivised career break schemes announced by the Government last month.
These schemes, as well as a new expanded term-time arrangement for staff, were announced by the Government for staff across the public sector as part of moves to reduce the overall State payroll bill.
It is understood that several hundred health sector staff had expressed interest in the early retirement and career break proposals. However, it is unknown how many had formally applied so far.
The Department of Health said last month in a document on the application of the early retirement and career break schemes that the introduction of these measures in the health sector would be conditional on the staff groups concerned co-operating “with requirements on redeployment, mobility, skill mix and flexibility which were set out in an employment control framework drawn up by health service management”.
The new scheme allows for an eligible civil or public servant aged 50 or over to retire without actuarial reduction of pension entitlements.
Ten per cent of the relevant lump sum will be payable immediately, with the balance paid later at the normal retirement age of 60 or 65. However, for those who apply now, the full lump sum will not be taxed, even if the Government introduces such a measure in future years.
Under the incentivised career break scheme, staff in the public sector would receive a payment of up to €12,500 annually if they take a three-year break.
Meanwhile the HSE is also expected to tell trade unions today that it will be seeking greater staff flexibility as part of overall public sector reforms.
The HSE is likely to press for staff to be rostered to work over a longer working day – although individual staff members would still only work the same number of hours per week.
Hospital consultants currently are rostered from 8am to 8pm, under the terms of their new contract.
The HSE is also expected to raise the issue of redeployment in the talks on public sector reform with trade unions today.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen said last week that the Government attached the greatest importance to its public sector transformation agenda. The talks today on reform in the health sector forms part of a series of engagements with unions representing staff across various parts of the public sector.
Last Friday the Government proposed the abolition of special privilege days off given to civil servants at Christmas and Easter.
Meanwhile, the Government last night signalled that it wanted to see greater provision for redeployment of staff as well as more flexibility, outsourcing and use of shared services as part of reforms in local authorities.