Sir, – I work as a medical scientist in the Irish health service, and I am writing to inform you of a greater than 20-year pay and promotional inequality that exists for my profession and to highlight the detrimental effect this is having on staff morale, recruitment, and retention.
Irish medical scientists conduct vital diagnostic investigations for all major diseases from Covid to cervical screening and so much more besides; this work plays an integral and indispensable part of any diagnostic setting, and no health service could possibly function without it.
In May 2022, Irish medical scientists took to the streets to protest at the pay and career disparity that exists between our profession and another science grade, clinical biochemists. This action called by our representative body, the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA), was to highlight the 7 per cent pay disparity and unequal career opportunities that exist between the two professions.
Following intervention from the Labour Court, the industrial action was suspended to allow both Government and the MLSA engage with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to help resolve the matter. Both parties subsequently agreed to the carrying out of an independent assessment to determine what, if any, differences exist between the two science professions.
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This independent report, conducted by Conal Devine, was published in January 2023. The report states categorically and unequivocally that for the overwhelming majority working in both professions there exists “no evidence of material distinction between the roles and responsibilities of both grades”. The report goes further to suggest that the salary scales of both staff and senior grade positions from both professions be adjusted to reflect same.
Despite the publication of this report in January of this year, nothing has changed. It seems I work for a State where “equal pay for equal work” does not apply in this case.
The Government, though accepting of the findings of the Devine report, has yet to implement it and remain steadfast in their assertion that any pay correction must be within the confines of the next public sector pay deal.
This, I’m afraid, will not bring about a full and complete resolution of the matter, it was attempted in the last public sector pay process and failed and it will again.
It is hard to fathom in a year where the exchequer has boasted record revenue and tax returns that this pay and career inequality is allowed to continue with absolute disregard to the workers it affects.
At the time of our industrial action in May 2022, the Opposition parties moved a motion in the Dáil calling on Government to ensure that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the HSE agree to the long-standing pay parity award recommended over two decades ago to medical scientists, and immediately implement the pay increase sought by the profession.
The Government amended the original Opposition motion and, though cognisant in their wording of the long-standing concern of medical scientists in relation to pay and career structure, went on to state that “there are insufficient funds to fully or partially resolve this matter to the satisfaction of the members of the MLSA”, and this amended motion was passed 72 votes to 59.
Irish medical scientists appealed to Government in 2006 not to outsource cervical screening abroad, and we are the same professionals who were at the coal-face of Covid testing during the pandemic, and we kept the service up and running during the recent cyber-attack.
All I ask is that justice be served sooner rather than later, and this long-standing pay and career inequality be righted or else we may all suffer the consequences! – Yours, etc,
PATRICK NAUGHTON,
Bishopstown,
Cork.