TWO MORTICIANS attached to Kerry General Hospital were continuing to refuse to carry out postmortem examinations yesterday, amid growing concern the dispute would spread to other hospitals.
It also emerged that a body awaiting postmortem was still at the Kerry hospital yesterday after morticians attached to Cork University Hospital apparently refused to take over the procedure. Other morticians are also expected to refuse the post- mortem in solidarity with their Kerry colleagues.
The two morticians based at Kerry General Hospital are employed by Kerry County Council. The morticians informed the council this week they had serious issues with the new universal social charge and other deductions from their pay introduced at the beginning of the year.
Normally employed by the HSE, the morticians are paid by the council to carry out work to assist the State pathologists carrying out postmortems.
Strike notice on the council has been served and the morticians are refusing to assist State pathologists until their concerns are met.