Threat of industrial action over proposal to shed 300 health service staff

INDUSTRIAL action is looming in the HSE’s Mid-West region over management plans to get rid of up to 300 health service staff on temporary contracts.

IMPACT trade union, which represents a number of the staff, said it had been informed by HSE management that a €35 million deficit existed in the mid-West. The union said it was told the deficit was due to a decision by the HSE to reduce overall financial allocations to HSE West and the fact that more patients are being treated within smaller budgets.

A range of proposals were made by management on how the shortfall could be addressed.

“One of the proposals was the dismissal of staff employed on fixed-term contracts of employment,” said IMPACT official Andy Pike. “We estimate that there are between 200 and 300 such contracts in the mid-West. The HSE said that each contract will now be reviewed with a view to either non-renewal of the contract when it expires or terminating the contract if the post is no longer determined to be a clear and pressing priority.”

He said such a measure would affect many different staff groups and that it was impossible to know exactly how many staff could be dismissed.

“It might be very few, but potentially could run into the hundreds across the three counties (Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary),” he said. “We have referred the issue to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) for urgent conciliation.”

Mr Pike said his union had informed the HSE that, if it proceeds with the termination of contracts, “we would be in a serious industrial dispute very quickly”. IMPACT has a collective agreement with the HSE which states that no temporary employee with more than 12 months' service will be dismissed,” he said. “The Croke Park agreement clearly states that the Government will not make public servants compulsorily redundant. Yet, before the ink has dried on the pages of the agreement the HSE appears to be intent on breaching one of the most crucial elements of the new national agreement by dismissing staff.”

Other measures mooted by the HSE include the closure of the orthopaedic operating theatre and an orthopaedic ward at Croom Orthopaedic hospital and 25 in-patient beds at Ennis General and Nenagh General Hospitals. Ward closures at St Joseph’s Hospital and the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick have also been mooted.

SIPTU said the HSE is also threatening jobs in the HSE West region, which includes Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. It said those counties have a €51m overrun and, as well as 400 job cuts already flagged, there are 4,000 other people on temporary contracts “who are absolutely terrified that they will be among the first to face the axe”.

“In Galway city alone, we believe there are 183 jobs on the line,” said SIPTU health organiser Paul Bell. “Surgery in Castlebar General Hospital may be axed. Voluntary agencies and community care programmes are under threat. Home helps are a group likely to face the axe, which is a very worrying prospect in a region where there is a disproportionate number of older people.”