The Health and Welfare divisional conference took place in Letterkenny last week, running from Wednesday 14th May to Friday 16th may. Delegates from branches around the country gathered to debate motions, elect a new divisional executive committee (DEC) and set the direction for the division for the next two years. 

Media coverage of the conference featured on RTE, in the Irish Independent and in The Irish Time here and here. Donegal News was also on site, their report is here. 

A selection of photos taken over the course of conference is available on our website, linked here.

In her opening address Cathaoirleach Clodagh Kavanagh underlined the importance of divisional conference saying: “This is more than just a gathering; it is a re-affirmation of our values of solidarity and justice. The motions you pass will give direction to your division for the next two years.”

She thanked members for their dedication, strength and unity during recent disputes, which she said showed members’ commitment to fairness, dignity and respect for working people.

On Wednesday head of division Ashley Connolly addressed conference on the long running campaign for pay parity in the community and voluntary sector, recalling the many twists and turns on the path.

She said: “It has taken a long time to secure these pay recovery measures. The next step in the process is the data gathering exercise and this must take place immediately. We must keep applying pressure, otherwise we will be left waiting again to achieve pay justice. That can’t be allowed to happen,” she said. 

Ashley also said the current pay deal, endorsed in a ballot of Fórsa members at the start of May, was a major milestone for a large group of workers whose pay had not been properly restored after austerity-era cuts to pay in 2009.  

In a rallying cry and tribute to members Ashley said: "Let us honour the lessons of the past, so we may stand strong against the challenges of the future. We will continue to organise, campaign and stand strong to champion and defend this sector, until such a time as all issues are brought to resolution." 

Debate on motions then began in earnest, with issues ranging from Tusla reform, to reports on motions, pay in the community and voluntary sector and outsourcing all on the agenda.

The debate on privatisation and outsourcing heard from many members  who spoke eloquently about the impact this practice is having.

Una Burke from the Tipperary South Health and Community branch, spoke on privatisation and the outsourcing of core HSE work. She said: “The practice of outsourcing core work is undermining and diluting some of the HSE’s core services. It has caused fragmentation of services and has negatively impacted the provision of care. It is a strategy that devalues workers and undermines patient care. 

Speaking on behalf of the DEC motion on this topic national secretary Linda Kelly sent a strong message saying: “It is never benign, it is always about saving money, it is never in the interest of the public, but only ever in the financial interest of a very small group of private individuals. We need a whole of division approach to this issue, and  we will consult with members and branches on our approach."

There were two panel discussions at conference, the first was on morale among healthcare workers, which examined the results of a study released by Fórsa, conducted by TASC; while the second was on artificial intelligence (AI) in health care.

 
Fórsa commissioned the research by the independent think-tank, given the persistent feelings of low morale being expressed by members. In the research 68% of respondents described staff morale as either ‘low’ (43%) or ‘terrible’ (25%). 

For the panel discussion TASC researcher Tiarnán McDonough was joined by Dr. Laura Bambrick, head of social policy at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and Niki Gallagher, head of public affairs at Ibec.

Laura Bambrick spoke about the vital need to expand our understanding of the right to disconnect, that it should be understood to cover not just a digital disconnect, but also the right to take breaks, to have lunch undisturbed, or take annual leave without feeling like you’re putting your already understaffed colleagues under further pressure. She underlined that when faced with persistent short staffing workers cannot disconnect, which in turn, exacerbates low morale. 

Niki Gallagher emphasised the importance of stakeholder engagement and the value Ibec places on its engagement with unions. She noted that Ibec supports calls for a larger state with better investment in public services.

In the panel on the use of AI in health care, Molly Newell of TASC noted that while diagnostic algorithms can reduce waiting lists times, Irelands e-health landscape is particularly underdeveloped, while Gareth Murphy of the FSU noted that unions should not make the mistake of assuming they know what workers want, instead they should use research and make data informed decisions. 

On Thursday Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD addressed delegates at Fórsa’s Health and Welfare divisional conference via video message, as she was not able to attend conference in person, however she has committed to meeting the Health and Welfare DEC later this year. 

In her message she commended Fórsa members for the vital role they play in delivering health services across the country. She then went on to outline investment in health infrastructure around the country, referencing four new hospitals which will enhance patient care around the country.

Also on Thursday general secretary, Kevin Callinan, rallied delegates with an address that put unions and union activists at the heart of the fight to overcome the “dark times” we live in. He said, “we stand in the vanguard, against division, against hate, against war. For community, for justice, for peace.”

Kevin extolled the need for reform and modernisation within the union movement citing work already done within Fórsa to invigorate the organising power of our activist base. He called on delegates to use Local Bargaining to have conversations with coworkers and bring them into the Fórsa community.

A new Divisional Executive was elected by conference delegates. Clodagh Kavanagh (Cork Health and Local Government) returns as Chair, and Andy Meaney (Waterford Health and Local Government) will be vice chair. The members of the Health & Welfare DEC are: 
 
Trish Ahern (Limerick Health)
Helen Canning (Boards and Voluntary Agencies)
Orla Carroll (Kilkenny Health and Local Government)
Gillian Cawley (Dublin Hospitals)
Paula Cregg (Clare Health and Local Government)
Pat Fallon (Sligo Health and Local Government)
Henry Hennessy (Laois Health and Welfare)
Barry Herridge (Dublin north Health and Welfare)
Keivan Jackson (Kildare Health and Welfare)
Patricia Mellsop (Offaly Health and Local Government)
Bernadette Mooney (Dublin South Health and Welfare)
Colette O'Connell (Tipperary South Health and Community)
Corinne Phelan (Galway Health and Local Government)

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