Fórsa and other voluntary sector unions have given the HSE until the end of April to finish gathering data on pay restoration in section 39 organisations. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has agreed to facilitate a meeting to progress the issue in May.

In February, the WRC proposed a phased approach to the longstanding problem of state-funded section 39s that have failed to restore pay lost during the economic and funding crisis.

Unions agreed that data gathering should take place first, and that further talks would follow.

While Fórsa successfully pressed the HSE to agree to identify section 39 organisations that have the capacity for pay restoration within their present resources, the employers last week told the union that it had yet to gather enough data.

Forsa will ballot for industral action at section 39 organisations which are best identified as having the capacity to restore pay.

Section 39s are independent organisations operating in areas like homelessness and disability services, which that depend on State funding for some or all of their income.