Talks to continue over health job cuts

TALKS are to resume on Tuesday between the Western Health Board and the IMPACT trade union in a bid to save 169 jobs in the region.

The talks began yesterday following the Western Health Board's decision to start cutting these short-term posts next week in a bid to secure a 1 million budget cut demanded by the Department of Health.

But IMPACT, SIPTU and the Irish Nurses Organisation told the Western Health Board yesterday they will not co-operate with the lay-offs.

All three unions claim these job cuts will put patient care at risk in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

IMPACT met with WHB management yesterday to point out that its members will not provide cover for the 169 workers when their jobs go.

The union's assistant general secretary, Shay Clinton, said they had spelled out their total opposition to the job cuts and warned of the serious consequences they would have on the health services.

The INO's western region industrial officer, Noreen Muldoon, said nurses would find it impossible to take over the clerical and administrative work which is being done by the staff who are being laid off.

"These job cuts will put pressure on everybody working in the health care services particularly those caring for the elderly and working in A&E," Ms Muldoon said.

Meanwhile, SIPTU regional secretary, Joe Cunningham, has called on the health board to look at ways of cutting high office rents and travelling expenses before it cuts a single job.

The three-hour meeting between IMPACT and health board officials broke up without any real progress being made yesterday evening.

IMPACT spokesman Shay Clinton said that there was disagreement between the two parties about the numbers of jobs that needed to be axed.

"Our view is that the majority of these posts are real jobs and not just seasonal short-term contracts and if they are axed there will be a real impact on the health services," Mr Clinton said.

Both parties have agreed to meet again on Tuesday to see if any compromise can be reached but in the meantime the directive to IMPACT workers to not provide cover for any worker laid off remains.

The IMPACT National Health Executive will meet on Monday to decide what their nationwide response will be to proposed administrative job cuts in health boards around the country.

A Western Health Board spokeswoman said that yesterday's talks had been constructive and would resume on Tuesday.