HSE threatens to privatise porter jobs over sick days dispute

THE HSE said last night it is contemplating privatising porter jobs at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick after it emerged the 54 porters averaged nearly five work weeks’ sick time last year.

As relations deteriorated, a spokesman for the HSE outlined a litany of allegations against porters, who earn between €27,500 and almost €34,000.

The porters, according to a HSE spokesman, amassed a total of 1,438.5 lost days at work last year.

weeks the porters, according to the HSE, have been involved in four unofficial lightning strikes and the hospital management says it has lost patience.

HSE Mid-West manager, John O’Brien, said it will have to take action as there had been too many incidents involving porters at the hospital.

“Absenteeism levels are one of the highest if not the highest in the country at 15%,” he said.

Mr O’Brien said the absenteeism was characterised by single-day absences, with porters ringing in at short notice.

He said: “In terms of sick leave we are considering not making payment for single days from now on. We are also considering the possibility of part privatisation or privatising that service, considering the way they are behaving.”

Mr O’Brien also claimed that the attitude of certain porters to patient care and safety was appalling.

The porters, meanwhile, have claimed that conditions in their rest room were very bad and unhygienic.

In response to the porters’ claims, the HSE said: “The problems with this rest room are of the porters’ own making.”

The spokesman said the attitude of non co-operation among porters was symptomatic of an overall approach.

He said: “The Mid-Western Regional Hospital was built by the taxpayer to care for patients.

“It was not established for the primary benefit of a small group who refuse to abide by the most basic principles of established industrial relations.”