Angry health care workers are willing to take part in a three-day strike next week if their demands are not met by the Government.
Up to 10,000 staff at 38 hospitals across the country, who are members of Siptu, went on a 24-hour strike yesterday over an ongoing pay dispute.
It emerged after talks between workers and the HSE collapsed over what the trade union claims is a failure to implement increases in wages after a job evaluation scheme deemed staff were underpaid.
The initial response from the Government was the increase would be paid in 2021 when all the stages of the evaluation are complete.
Siptu says its members are entitled to between €1,500 and €3,000 more.
It added it has rejected a proposal by the Government for the phased payment of the money commencing in November and running to 2021.
A three-day strike, beginning next Tuesday, is planned if a resolution between both sides can’t be met.
Among those on strike yesterday was Fran Keane, 47, who has been a porter at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin for the past 18 years.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror he said it’s sickening to see how frontline staff are being treated.
He added: “Enough is enough. The strike will escalate next week.
“There’s a three-day planned strike next week. We need to take action and find a resolution to it which will suit both parties.
“None of us want to do this. When you hear media reports of €160,000 for a fitness instructor at Leinster House, it makes you wonder what they actually think of people on the frontline.”
Anthony Flynn, 32, from Blanchardstown in Dublin who also works as a porter said staff just want the wages they are entitled to.
He added: “To work in a hospital is a stressful environment, especially when it’s understaffed.
“We are just looking for the pay recognition for the job that we do. It’s not a lot.” Care assistant at the hospital for the past 21 years, Christy Dunne, 56, said staff have had enough.
He added: “It’s a long time coming. The money we are looking for is pittance.
“A lot of the extra money we are looking for is in recognition of the work we do, there are a lot of specialist care assistants. It can be very stressful.”
Sinead Nugent, 40, from Coolock in Dublin and 49-year-old Karen Ryan from Artane, who both work prepping surgical equipment, said they hope the issue can be resolved soon.
Ms Nugent told the Irish Daily Mirror: “It’s not like we are looking for anything more, we are looking for what we were promised.
“It’s very frustrating. There is talk of a three-day strike next week but we hope it doesn’t get to that. The hospital can’t run without us care staff.” The Taoiseach has said the Government are willing to to try and solve the issues.
Speaking on RTE News yesterday Leo Varadkar added: “Government wants to resolve this strike and we’ve offered a hearing at the Labour Court to try to resolve it and that’s how so many disputes have been resolved in the past.
"I’d issue an invitation and appeal to the unions involved in this strike to come to the Labour Court where we can sort this out.”
Yesterday it emerged Siptu representatives have accepted an invitation to attend talks at the Workplace Relations Commission today.
The union’s Paul Bell said: “The 24-hour strike will continue today and the planned three days of strike action due to take place next week proceed if we do not resolve this dispute.”
