Fórsa and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) served notice of industrial action to the HSE last week, marking an escalation in the dispute over the effect of the HSE’s ‘Pay and Numbers Strategy’ which imposed a fixed employment ceiling across all health services, in addition to suppressing all posts that were vacant on the 31st December 2023. The new ‘strategy’ also devolves responsibility for staffing decisions to each new Regional Executive Officer, with no oversight, or transparency in relation to staffing decisions. At no stage, were unions consulted in relation to these changes.   

The two health unions served three weeks’ notice of the action and union members in both the HSE, and Section 38 voluntary hospitals have been instructed to engage in the action, commencing with a work-to-rule and other non-cooperation actions, from Monday 31st March. Other unions, including Connect and the MLSA, have also served notice of industrial action. Up to 70,000 health workers will be engaged in the action. 

Fórsa’s head of health & welfare, Ashley Connolly, said: “The HSE has consistently refused to engage with us on the Pay and Numbers strategy.  

“The people working in the health service aren’t just numbers. Without you there is no health service. You are advocating for the resources that are desperately needed to provide the services people desperately need. It’s time to show HSE management what happens when our members stop covering up the cracks in the HSE’s staffing strategy,” she remarked. 

She added: “Ireland’s population is growing, and it is also an ageing population. These factors demand a more robust approach to health planning. An approach that doesn’t involve spending millions on management consultants, whose main advice appears to be the suppression of health posts that need to be filled.” 

Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly added: “Our members provide a vital public service – the healthcare that people need, when they need it. The crude imposition of employment restrictions does a lot of harm, adds to patient waiting times and delays treatment. This runs in total opposition to the values our members stand for on the delivery of care,” she said. 

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