Little festive cheer for 300 staff facing some cold realities

THE determination of BUPA and the Government not to back down over risk equalisation does little to hide the fact that 300 people face into this Christmas with the knowledge their job, their livelihoods, hang in the balance.

The Lehane family is one that is more acutely aware of that situation.

Donal and Mary both work in BUPA and have two children, aged six and two to support.

A combined 20 years of service by the medical services manager and corporate sales manager does not give the couple any immunity from the employment uncertainty hanging over the workforce at BUPA.

Donal said it has been a big blow for his family, but he is determined to fight every step of the way to ensure that they and their colleagues are not victims of government policy.

“The Government have implemented a risk equalisation that is unviable... and [that] is causing the problem,” he said.

“In 1998, Minister Brian Cowen took risk equalisation off the agenda. In 2001 Minister [Micheál] Martin put it back on again. So the idea we always knew it was on the cards was not true. It kept changing.”

Donal was part of a delegation that met Mr Martin yesterday: “We urged the minister to... come up with some proposals that we could look at and continue with an honest business,” he said. “We are trying our best not to have it at ‘game over’ but we do believe the game is up unless the Government do something.

“We want to stay here, we want to stay for our 475,000 members around the country... We are just looking for a fair scheme.”

His colleague Mary Condon is equally frustrated.

“There are 300 people who two weeks before Christmas face the loss of their jobs,” she said.

“I cannot see why a solution cannot be found. We should be here and we want to stay here. We want a level playing field, the same as the VHI.”