SIPTU serves strike notice on seven hospitals
Tuesday, 9 March 2010 23:22
Patients in seven Dublin hospitals face serious disruption next month after SIPTU served notice of a two-day strike over pay cuts.
SIPTU Health Sector Organiser Paul Bell said around 4,500 support staff would withdraw their labour from 1am on Wednesday 7 April until 1am on Friday 9 April.
He said the union had given the Government four weeks' notice to give them time to return to talks.
The hospitals affected if the strike goes ahead are Beaumont Hospital, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Tallaght Hospital, St Vincent's University Hospital, St James's Hospital, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown and St Columcille's in Loughlinstown.
The grades involved include porters, catering personnel, security, healthcare assistants and supervisors.
Mr Bell said that low-level action was also anticipated for ambulance services in counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.
He warned that other hospitals in Dublin would have similar disputes in the weeks after the initial work stoppage.
He also said that hospitals not on strike in Dublin would be organising a solidarity fund to support striking workers.
Mr Bell said the four weeks' strike notice would allow employers time to engage in meaningful dialogue with SIPTU on the issues in dispute.
The issues include the refusal of hospital management to honour the terms of the 'Towards 2016' pay agreement and over what he said was the threat to outsource the jobs of union members.
The HSE has said it has yet to receive the formal notice from SIPTU.
In a statement it said: 'If and when we do receive that formal notice, we would expect the unions to comply with our agreement for procedures on emergency cover.
'We would also bring our human resources managers from the hospitals together with SIPTU to agree contingency arrangements.'
- Nine News: Ingrid Miley, Industry & Employment Correspondent, reports that thousands of support staff in the health sector will stage a two-day strike next month
- Prime Time: Robert Short reports on the possibility of a resolution to the campaign of industrial action being pursued by public sector unions
- Prime Time: Liam Doran, Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation General Secretary, and Patricia Callan, Small Firms Association Director, discuss the public sector action
- Six One News: Ingrid Miley, Industry & Employment Correspondent, reports that 4,500 staff at seven hospitals will stage a two-day strike in April
- One News: Ingrid Miley, Industry & Employment Correspondent, says there is no sign from the Government that they intend on going back on the pay cuts
- News At One: Ingrid Miley, Industry & Employment Correspondent, spoke to SIPTU Health Sector Organiser Paul Bell about the dispute
