Over 6,000 SIPTU hospital workers plan to strike on Thursday due to Government’s disgraceful failure to implement pay increases. This can be averted if the Government commits to fulfilling previous promises made to the workers.
This strike will affect Health Care Assistants, Maternity Care Assistants, Laboratory Aides, Surgical Instrument Technicians, Home Helpers, as well as catering staff, porters and maintenance workers. This will be a very disruptive strike, and one caused directly by this government’s inability, or unwillingness, to keep promises it has made in the past.
SIPTU have honoured the terms of the PSSA in full and their members voted to accept the Lansdowne 1 Agreement on the basis that Job Evaluation was reintroduced. According to the government, the recession is over – but wages have not been restored in line with recommendations.
These are the people who hold our health service together. These workers are on some the lowest wages within the healthcare system. It is disgraceful that they have had to wait so long for pay that is due to them.
Payment is not only due now but should have been made two years ago. What’s the point of an agreement if one side cannot be trusted to uphold its promises? Promises made, promises broken, as usual.
The behaviour of the Government has been interpreted by these workers as disrespectful and dismissive. They believe their jobs are not of any value in the eyes of this government, and this view has been tempered by the lack of Ministerial intervention in this dispute, which is heading for a very disruptive strike on Thursday.
I know that this industrial action is a last resort by the workers but they need to know that previous commitments will be adhered to. If the Government do not act quickly to resolve this in a fair manner, I will be joining workers on the picket lines in Mayo on Thursday.
