IMPACT urges health workers to strike

One of the country’s largest trade unions is today expected to be urged to ballot its 27,000 health care members to take industrial action.

Delegates at the special IMPACT health conference in Dublin are due to push for industrial action within three months unless the Health Service Executive demonstrates a new approach to health service reforms.

Representatives of over 30 branches from across the country will debate the single motion which outlines workers’ frustrations with service shortcomings, the slow pace of primary care reforms, chaotic management change, staff cuts and accelerating privatisation.

The motion will be put forward by the union’s Health and Welfare Division Executive Committee.

The conference comes just days after the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action.

The unions, which boast more than 40,000 nurses and midwives, are demanding a 35-hour working week and better conditions including a pay increase of over 10% and a 3% allowance for those working and living in Dublin.

Their action campaign includes a nationwide work to rule, short duration rolling work stoppages at hospitals throughout the country, and lunchtime protests at four of the State’s biggest hospitals.

The INO supported the ballot by 96%, while the PNA members were 97% in favour. However both unions stressed the campaign will cause minimum disruption to patients, but maximum disruption to Health Service Management.

IMPACT, Ireland’s largest public sector trade union, boasts over 57,000 members including 27,000 health members.

The conference is being held in the Jury’s Hotel, Ballsbridge.