A ballot of Fórsa members employed in community and voluntary sector agencies funded by the HSE, has returned overwhelming support for industrial action.

In a communication to members this week, Fórsa national secretary Ashley Connolly reported that 99.5% of members balloted had voted in favour of taking industrial action – up to and including strike action - to secure a pay increase in line with the terms set out in the current public service agreement.

The ballot turnout was also high, with 77.5% of ballots returned.

Ashley thanked members for supporting the ballot and said union reps and staff “now look forward to working with members to ensure our campaign for pay parity is successful and deliver tangible results for members.”

Fórsa members in the following employments were balloted:

• Ability West
• Co-action West Cork
• Daughters Of Charity Child and Family Service
• Don Bosco Care
• Enable Ireland
• Enable Ireland ( Cork )
• Enable Ireland ( Tralee )
• St. Catherines Association Ltd
• St. Josephs Foundation
• St. Lukes Nursing Home
• Western Care Association

The ballot took place in response to what Fórsa and other health unions (the INMO and SIPTU) described as a “derisory” pay offer from the employer at WRC talks at the end of July, and follows years of pay disparity between these and health workers employed by the HSE.

While these agencies are funded by the state, Fórsa members employed in a range of health professional, clinical, clerical and administrative grades, are on lesser terms and conditions than their HSE counterparts.

Ashley commented: “Any prospect of an agreement was essentially extinguished at the end of July, which has made the ballot for industrial action inevitable.

“The Government has been dragging its feet on the issue for years, while making conciliatory noises to health workers who urgently need pay improvements. Their colleagues are walking out the door for better terms elsewhere, and there appears to be no sense of urgency at Government level, despite the growing waiting lists for the services these agencies offer.

“It’s been almost a year since the health minister acknowledged the State’s role as the main, or often sole, funder of these specialist care and community-based agencies. One year on, a yawning pay gap of more than 10% still exists.

“That gap in pay is feeding a huge recruitment and retention crisis in these services. The reality is that if this continues, services will be shut down, and the HSE will then have to step in to provide them.“

Health unions are set to announce a course of industrial action on Monday 25th September.