No agreement in talks between HSE & unions
Friday, 28 September 2007 22:31
The Health Service Executive is to decide next week whether the the ban on recruiting new staff in the health service will continue into October.
After a three-hour meeting with health unions the Executive warned that significant adjustments would have to be made for it to stay within budget this year.
The HSE has exceeded its budget this year by ¤245m.
Both sides are to meet again on Monday to discuss the issues.
The head of the Irish Nurses Organisation, Liam Doran, said unions had deep difficulties with the situation.
Health unions representing nearly 100,000 staff are seeking assurances that the temporary staff freeze this month will not be extended further. The recruitment freeze came into effect on 5 September.
Going into the talks, Liam Doran, General Secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation, said unions wanted a recognition from the HSE that cutbacks could not be imposed without meeting the requirements under Social Partnership.
Mr Doran said the cuts introduced this month were already having a major impact on services and they must be reversed.
The moratorium applies to the promotion and recruitment of existing and new staff, either on a temporary, permanent or replacement basis in hospitals and other health facilities.
But BreastCheck's cancer screening service is not affected by the freeze.
- Six One News: Fergal Bowers, Health Correspondent, reports that the meeting between unions & the HSE has ended without agreement
- Six One News: Kevin Callinan, IMPACT, says there was an absence of partnership when the decision on the hiring freeze was made
- Nine News: Fergal Bowers, Health Correspondent, reports that there was no agreement between health unions and the HSE today
- News At One: Liam Doran, INO, says there has been a breach of agreement by the HSE after it announced its cutbacks earlier this month
