Harris urged to intervene to avert strikes by health workers
Thousands of Section 39 workers are due to take industrial action in a bid to have their pay restored in line with those directly employed by the HSE.
Cork North Central TD Mick Barry hit out at Health Minister Simon Harris who he said does not have “any degree of real urgency” in relation to the pending strike which he said will cause severe disruption.
Section 39 employees are not public servants, but their employers are grant-aided by the HSE to provide services mainly in the health and social services, this includes Rehab and some hospice services.
Traditionally their pay has been linked to rates in the public service, however, because they do not come under FEMPI-related changes they have yet to have their salaries restored.
Mr Barry asked: “How can the minister stand over a situation where a nurse in the HSE is getting paid one rate with her pay restored while a nurse in Rehab doing very similar, and, essentially, the same, work has not had her pay restored?”
Referring to a badge Mr Harris was wearing in the Dáil to mark 100 years since women were first given the right to vote, Mr Barry said: “The minister will wear a badge about 100 years of votes for women.
"What about these workers, many of whom are women workers and low-paid women workers, who are being forced to wait for pay justice and to have their pay restored? Can we have some urgency and justice for these workers?”
He added: “The Government, the HSE, and the minister must see sense before the deadline for action.
“If they do not, the responsibility for any ensuing disruption and stress will be entirely on their shoulders, including the minister’s shoulders.”
Responding, Mr Harris said the Oireachtas had cut public servants’ pay but had not passed any law to cut the salaries of people working in section 39 organisations and the same applied to pay restoration.
He said: “Staff in these organisations were not subject to the provisions of FEMPI legislation. They were not a party to the public service agreements and are not covered by the pay restoration provided for in these agreements.
“These are not value judgements or views; they are just facts. While it is understood that pay savings were made by the organisations, the precise mix of pay cuts or other savings measures will have varied.
"I have seen that some did apply pay cuts and others may not have while some have restored them and some may not have.”
Mr Harris said the HSE provided approximately €800m to more than 2,200 Section 39 agencies last year.
He added that there is “no need” for industrial action as a process was being put in place to work through these issues.
However, Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly criticised the minister for “hiding behind process”.
“It is really unfair to these workers to say that we cut their pay when we felt we needed to do so — they did not feel there was a need to do so and neither did I — and now the minister is going to hide behind process.
“That is deeply unfair to those workers. We are six days away from a dispute. We need a sense of urgency about this.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
