Health unions met with HSE management yesterday, Thursday 20th February, for discussions on proposed changes to work patterns in health settings,

Following the discussions, the parties confirmed that the 2008 Framework Agreement would remain in place, and that no unilateral roster changes imposed.

The meeting had long been scheduled but attracted media attention in recent days following last Friday’s (14th February) memo to HSE senior staff, which appeared to sanction the introduction of an extended working day (8 to 8) and an extended working week (five days over seven) for all staff employed or promoted since December 2008. 

The memo was issued despite ongoing concerns about adequate health staff resources following the effects of the 2023/24 moratorium on recruitment, and the subsequent publication of the HSE’s ‘Pay and Numbers’ strategy document last July, which illustrated the loss of thousands of previously sanctioned posts in health. 

Responding to the memo, Fórsa’s head of Health and Welfare Ashley Connolly told Bernard Gloster that he may have instructed his senior managers “to disregard a long-established Framework Agreement” and said it was “regrettable” he had chosen to issue the instruction in advance of yesterday’s scheduled meeting.  

Ashley advised that any unilateral instruction to staff to change their working hours would “necessitate an appropriate response.” She also sought clarification from the HSE chief on the requirement for managers to fully adhere to the Framework Agreement.

Ashley advised Fórsa members on Monday, 17th February, that, if they are approached by management, seeking to change their contracted hours or days of work, members should direct management to send proposals to the relevant Fórsa official. The multi-union National Joint Council (NJC) also wrote to Gloster this week seeking specific information on where services are to be expanded and details of funding increases for service expansion, in line with the terms of the Framework Agreement. 

Following yesterday’s meeting, the parties confirmed that the Framework Agreement would remain in place. 

‘No specific proposals’ 

In an interview with Pat Kenny on Newstalk yesterday, Thursday 20th February, Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly said the problem that’s emerged is that the HSE doesn't have specific proposals for what service development it wants to extend: “That has always been the crux of the issue. In August 2023 they made the same approach to unions in relation to wanting to implement this contract from 2008.” 

“We met then and we said there’s a very clear framework, requiring the HSE to provide the plans as to what the objective was, what the cost benefit was, and what is the impact on rosters and numbering?” she said. 

Linda said the HSE had since never come back to the unions with any proposals: “There is definitely a mismatch in terms of planning for services, and what the HSE is saying publicly.  

“Fórsa members have identified real problems in terms of staffing within the HSE, despite what Bernard Gloster says. It’s very clearly identified in his own memo about resources. 

“We know that there are parts of the health service where, because of the Pay and Numbers strategy, we have huge gaps in terms of staff, and they're filling that gap through the provision of agency staff.  

“They're spending ridiculous amounts of money on private for-profit consultancy firms, and there isn't an ambitious plan to provide high quality public services delivered by public servants in the way that the public needs,” she said. 

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