The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Forsa, Connect, Unite, and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association have taken the decision to suspend a work-to-rule action that was due to begin tomorrow, March 31st.
This follows twenty-two hours of engagement in the Workplace Relations Commission between unions and the HSE regarding proposals to recruit and retain staff into the public health service.
The proposals seek to develop and improve recruitment processes and workforce planning.
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said:
“The challenges around safe staffing have intensified for nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers over the last eighteen months. While progress has been made with the HSE in these proposals on ensuring that vacant posts will be filled and streamlining the approval process to undo the delaying bureaucracy around the process of filling vacant posts.
“Nurses and midwives will now be balloted on the proposals. They will want to be assured by their employer that the delivery of safe staffing is an immediate priority.”
Head of Fórsa’s Health and Welfare Division, Ashley Connolly said:
“Forsa’s divisional executive met this morning and made the decision to stand down the industrial action to allow time to consider these proposals. For the last eighteen months, we have been driven by a concern both on the effect on service delivery of the Pay and Numbers Strategy and our members’ concerns about staffing services properly.
Eoin Drummey of Unite said:
“Following comprehensive engagement, we are satisfied that we now have a set of proposals that may bring about a resolution to this dispute which will be subject to a ballot of our members. Notwithstanding the significant challenges faced by our healthcare members through inadequate staffing and the over-reliance on agency and outsourcing.
Brian Mc Avinue, Connect Trade Union said:
“Our members have faced many challenges since the introduction of the HSE’s recruitment moratorium and subsequent Pay and Numbers Strategy. While progress has been made, there is still a body of work to be done on the commitments made on delivering direct employment.”
