Fórsa has served notice of industrial action in St. Christopher’s Intellectual Disability Services in Longford. In a letter sent last week on Thursday 24th October, Fórsa assistant general secretary Tony Martin said that the industrial action will commence on Monday 18th November, following the three week notice period required before industrial action can take place in the health service. The issue in dispute is the non-payment of promised increments.

While members at St. Christopher’s approved industrial action in a ballot earlier this year, previously planned industrial action was suspended to allow for talks under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). 

The proposal that emerged from those talks was rejected by members in a ballot in June. Local engagement has continued but there has been no positive outcome. After the most recent meeting between management at St. Christopher and Fórsa again proved fruitless, the union’s Health and Welfare Divisional Dispute Committee met on Tuesday 22nd October to discuss the matter and approved industrial action. 

Speaking about the issue Tony Martin said: “Morale among staff is low, given the long running nature of this issue, and the continuing pressure placed on staff. At every step of the way we have made ourselves available for engagement with the employer, but to date the outcome is entirely unsatisfactory.”

He continued: “The issue in dispute is the breach of a collective agreement around the payment of increments.  

“In March the employer told us that the HSE had requested that the payment of increments be suspended in 2024, until further notice, as they were unable to provide the necessary the funding, and since then the funds have still not been released.”

“Workers at St. Christopher’s have to contend with all of the challenges other Section 39 employees have to deal with and to have this on top of all that add insult to injury.” 

“In advance of the industrial action we will continue to engage with the employer on how the dispute will be conducted and the issue at hand, namely the non-payment of promised increments.”

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