Around 2,000 hospital support staff belonging to SIPTU have voted by 95% to go on strike if the Health Service Executive acts to reduce their premium payments by replacing weekend staff with interns.
The dispute centres on a new HSE internship scheme for support staff including porters, catering and household personnel, and some laboratory and sterilisation employees, earning between 85% and 95% of the standard entry rates.
There are 870 interns already operating on this basis nationwide.
If a strike went ahead, it would affect the Mater Hospital, Tallaght Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, St Vincent's University Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital and St Luke's in Rathgar.
SIPTU Health Division Organiser Paul Bell said staff believe the lower paid interns would be assigned to do weekend work, resulting in a significant drop in the weekend earnings of established employees.
He said SIPTU had decided to hold the ballot after management at St Vincent's indicated that it was unilaterally changing existing roster and shift patterns for support staff.
Mr Bell noted that the move would hit some of the lowest paid workers in the public service, at a time when pay rises were being given to hospital consultants on significantly higher earnings.
He also stressed the number of senior health service employees who had been permitted to retain top-up payments breaching salary guidelines.
He also pointed out that the Croke Park Agreement provided that restoration for lower paid workers should be prioritised if resources became available.
HSE Director of Human Resources Barry O'Brien confirmed that around 870 support staff interns are operating nationwide.
He said that given the current financial challenges facing the health service, it was appropriate that every avenue to deliver cost savings and greater efficiency is examined in detail.
Mr O'Brien said the Haddington Road Agreement provides mechanisms for management to raise issues such as cost-saving proposals, including changes to rosters with the relevant unions.
In relation to the current dispute involving SIPTU, he said HSE management would give full regard to the process of engagement, consultation and information, and the use of the third party industrial relations machinery if necessary.
