Speaking from the picket line outside the Mater Hospital during last week's action, Kate Johnson outlined the critical role perfusionists play within the health service.
"We are specialised medical workers. We operate the heart-lung machine during open-heart surgeries. So, any kind of open-heart surgery, whether it's grafting, heart transplantation, paediatric surgery for children who are born with issues with their hearts, we're involved in all of those surgeries. We look after the patient while the surgeon is doing his job."
Raymond MacDonnell from Children's Health Ireland highlighted the pressures associated with the profession.
"It can be stressful at times. Most of the time or 99% of the time everything goes well. So that 1% when things are difficult, it can be very challenging."
Paul Hennessy, a perfusionist at St. James's Hospital, gave the background to the dispute, which centres on the removal of a long-established pay relationship between perfusionists and medical scientists.
"This is a dispute going back over two and a half years. Originally, we had a pay agreement with the HSE that we were paid the same as medical scientists. This went back to 1961 and that was unilaterally removed two and a half years ago."
Workers argued that the issue had already been independently examined through the State's industrial relations machinery.
"The Labour Court recommended that our pay parity with the medical scientists should be immediately restored and retrospectively paid. That was back in January. Since then all the private hospitals in the state have implemented that. At this stage we feel we have no other avenue than to strike."
Throughout the stoppage, emergency cover remained in place. Paul Hennessy explained the approach taken by members.
"We're covering the emergencies. Nobody is going to be left that needs immediate surgery. But all electives and urgent cases have been cancelled for today and hopefully it will be resolved soon and we won't have to do the two-day stoppage."
In the days following the action, contact from the HSE opened a pathway for further engagement, leading Fórsa to pause planned escalation.
Workers say the picket lines also demonstrated the widespread support they enjoy among colleagues and the public. Kate Johnson described the atmosphere outside the Mater Hospital.
"The support has been lovely. We've had lots of beeps. We've had nursing staff, surgical staff, staff from all over the hospital coming out to show their support, bringing us cups of coffee and umbrellas when the rain is here. So, it's been lovely. It's been really great."
Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly said the dispute should never have reached the point of industrial action but welcomed the opportunity for meaningful engagement.
"It is simply unacceptable that the HSE would break this pay relationship in the first instance, and then that they would disregard a Labour Court recommendation is even more shocking."
The union said the decision to pause industrial action reflects a commitment to resolving the dispute through negotiations while ensuring the issue remains firmly on the agenda.
For workers involved in the campaign, the core issue remains unchanged. As Kate Johnson from The Mater put it:
"To bring this to a resolution is very simple. The HSE just need to acknowledge, accept and implement the Labour Court recommendation."
While the dispute has not yet been formally resolved, perfusionists say the progress achieved in recent days demonstrates the impact of collective action and the effectiveness of the support shown on picket lines across the country.
Reflecting on the dispute, Paul Hennessy said:
"It's not fair on patients. It's not fair on staff. It's an awful lot of heartbreak for all of us to have to do this."
For now, workers are hopeful that the engagement secured following last week's action can finally deliver implementation of the Labour Court recommendation and bring the dispute to a successful conclusion.
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