Siptu calls on health minister to intervene in Covid-19 swabber pay dispute

As well as swabbers at the test centres, contact racers have also raised concerns.

Siptu has called on the health minister to intervene in a pay dispute between swabbers working at Covid-19 test centres and the HSE as Covid-19 cases continue to increase.

That is after contact tracers also working for the HSE raised concerns the tracing system is being downsized with just 146 contact tracers set to remain in place after June 30. 

Only the Cork and Dublin centres will remain open, with Limerick and Galway set to close.

The ongoing disputes between people working on the frontline and the State comes as the number of people in hospitals with the virus rose again yesterday to 629.  

During the last seven days a further nine people died with Covid-19, new figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show. 

Over the last two weeks two people died in Cork, with Limerick, Tipperary and Clare each losing one person.

The number of people needing intensive care (in ICUs) remained stable at 24, down one from the day before.

After June 30, 2022, only Dublin and Cork centres will remain open.

The positivity rate for PCR tests has also risen now standing at 35.8%.

SIPTU sector organiser Damian Ginley said its members working as swabbers in centres around the country are “appalled and angered” at how they are being treated even as the pandemic continues.

“This dispute centres on the failure of the HSE and Department of Health to honour clearly written commitments to have the Covid test centre swabber grade reviewed as part of a wider job evaluation scheme for health sector support workers,” he said.

He said they worked in challenging environments, especially early in the pandemic when there was limited access to PPE.

“All our members are seeking is for the commitment to allow the swabber grade to be considered under the support staff job evaluation scheme to be honoured,” he said.

“They were available to partake in evaluations only to have their review appointments cancelled by the HSE.” 

They have sought to have this resolved and have now sought referral to the Workplace Relations Commission, he said.

“As the Government proposes to significantly scale back current Covid testing facilities from June 30, our members are requesting that the Minister for Health personally intervenes at this late stage to ensure that this matter is addressed immediately.”