Unions consider section 39 ballot
by Niall Shanahan
 
Failure to reach agreement led to a one-day strike by Fórsa members in a number of agencies last February.
Failure to reach agreement led to a one-day strike by Fórsa members in a number of agencies last February.

Fórsa, and other unions representing staff in State-funded voluntary health and social service providers – known as section 39 agencies – are to identify a number of agencies to ballot for industrial action over pay restoration.

 

Unions will meet today (Friday) to confirm which agencies they will ballot for industrial action.

 

The decision follows a WRC meeting on 22nd September, when it became clear that health employers had failed to had make progress on estimates of the cost of pay restoration, which were promised in July.

 

The unions say the HSE and health department had also failed on previous commitments to secure agreement from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that settlement proposals could be developed.

 

In 2019 an agreement covering 50 larger Section 39 employments was approved by unions, and was followed by talks to achieve a similar agreement for the remaining 250 smaller employments in the sector.

 

Failure to reach agreement led to a one-day strike by Fórsa members in a number of agencies last February.

 

Section 39 organisations were instructed by the HSE to cut staff pay in line with reductions in pay for public servants during the economic crisis.

 

However, staff in these agencies are not covered by subsequent public service pay agreements that restored pay.

 

Fórsa assistant general secretary Catherine Keogh said: “It is neither realistic nor fair to expect Section 39 workers to show up to work every day and attend to the challenges of delivering vital services during a global pandemic, while at the same time denying them the modest pay restoration that should have been implemented months ago.”

 

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact the union HERE.

 

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