28,000 health workers balloted on strike action

FURTHER strikes in the health service look likely after IMPACT began balloting its 28,000 workers in protest at the continuing Health Service Executive (HSE) recruitment freeze.

The union has asked its members — health professionals, therapists, social care workers, as well as administrative and managerial staff — to vote in favour of action to campaign against staffing cuts and protect existing working agreements and conditions of employment.

It said staff anger at service shortcomings had come to a head as the HSE’s staff recruitment embargo bites.

“For instance, it emerged last month that a quarter of occupational therapy posts had disappeared because of the staffing freeze,” it said.

IMPACT said bigger cuts in services and staffing are likely to be imposed in the coming months and years unless it acts.

While the industrial action will not happen before the end of this month, it is likely to affect a large number of patient services.

The form of action will be decided by the union’s health and welfare divisional executive after the ballot outcome is announced on April 28. The union is obliged to give at least three weeks’ notice to health employers.

Actions being considered include work stoppages, overtime bans and work-to-rule. A withdrawal of co-operation with senior HSE management and its transformation programme is also mooted.

The union wants:

* The removal of recruitment restrictions.

* The permanent filling of posts, including those vacant from September 4, 2007, to December 31, 2007, unless in specific cases where it is agreed not to fill posts.

* An end to the use of agency staff unless by agreement with IMPACT.

* Respect for existing agreements and conditions of employment.

* Implementation of all outstanding third-party outcomes.

“The HSE is currently ignoring or refusing to implement many agreements and this has undermined a wide range of working conditions including cover for absences, promotions, acting up, career break returns, and access to term time and other schemes,” the union said.

“Unlike last year’s ballot of IMPACT members in administrative grades, this vote has been extended to all our members in the health services.”

The union has warned its members that the HSE could attempt to block the 2.5% pay increase, due on September 1, in response to any industrial action.