Security staff strike sees hospital operations cancelled

Almost 20 planned operations were cancelled at one of the country’s main hospitals today after a strike by security workers disrupted health services.

After members of two other unions supported the SIPTU picket by security workers outside the Waterford Regional Hospital around 18 operations or procedures were cancelled.

The hospital said the unofficial action by the staff had disrupted its usual services.

“Waterford Regional Hospital is very disappointed that this action is being taken particularly as the hospital is not involved in the industrial relations dispute between the employer and its employees. The hospital is being used as a tool in an external industrial relations issue,” a statement from the hospital said.

“This unofficial action is affecting patients who have been waiting for operations and procedures hospital appointments – they are the victims in this. The hospitals management is asking all of the people involved in the dispute to resolve their issues and to remove the picket from the hospital.”

The union, SIPTU, said the security workers at the hospital were picketing because their employer, a private company, Sentry Security, lost its contract at the hospital.

SIPTU regional secretary Mike Jennings said the new firm, Secureway, has informed the union it will be bringing in new workers on lower rates.

“This case highlights yet another instance of a state agency deliberately opting for a low pay employer, regardless of the consequences for existing workers,” Mr Jennings claimed.

The hospital said a full security service was in place at the hospital from Secureway Ltd which took over the contract from 7am today.

The facility confirmed it would attempt to reschedule the cancelled operations as early as possible once the unofficial action was resolved.

SIPTU said Sentry Security had held the contract at the hospital for the past seven years – with some staff holding up to nine years service through the company and its previous employers at the hospital.

Mr Jennings said the union had contacted the new contractor to ensure the continuity of employment for members under the Transfer of Undertakings Regulations, 2003.

“The management of the new company is maintaining this is not a transfer of undertakings and the legislation does not apply. We are confident that it does apply and that precedent exists at the WRH in the case of other service providers such as cleaning contractors,” he said.

The union said through collective bargaining it had secured rates for its members which were above the minimum rates and had ensured them extra leave days.

“When job displacement is mentioned people usually think it involves vulnerable migrant workers but this is a home grown example of the ’race to the bottom’, in which hundreds of thousands of people working in Ireland face the prospect of minimum rates and conditions also becoming the maximum,” Mr Jennings said.