Union: No to 4,000 job cuts

HEALTH unions have warned a cut of up to 4,000 health sector jobs, as proposed by the Department of Finance, would not only damage services but would also demoralise staff morale.

It emerged yesterday that the department has asked Government to reduce the health sector numbers by 4,000 over the next two years as part of the Government’s planned voluntary redundancy scheme.

However, Peter McLoone of the IMPACT trade union, which represents a large section of the health employees, rejected the proposal.