Pandemic recognition measures welcomed
by Mehak Dugal and Bernard Harbor
 
A once-off public holiday has been announced for 18th March 2022 to recognise workers’ efforts in the fight against Covid.
A once-off public holiday has been announced for 18th March 2022 to recognise workers’ efforts in the fight against Covid.

Fórsa has welcomed the announcement of an additional and recurring public holiday to recognise workers’ contribution and sacrifice during the pandemic.

 

A once-off public holiday has been announced for 18th March 2022 to recognise workers’ efforts in the fight against Covid, and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the pandemic.

 

And from next year there will be a new permanent public holiday established in celebration of Saint Brigid’s Day.

 

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said unions had argued strongly that an economy-wide acknowledgement of workers’ efforts during the crisis should go beyond a one-off gesture.

 

“It’s very welcome news that, following a once-off additional public holiday on 18th March 2022, we will see an additional public holiday introduced on a permanent basis. This recognises workers’ contribution and sacrifice over the last two years, and brings Ireland closer to European norms in terms of the number of public holidays in place for workers,” he said.

 

This week’s Government announcement also included a once-off tax-free €1,000 payment for health staff who worked “onsite in a clinical Covid-19 exposed environment during the pandemic.” This will be given to “eligible frontline health and ambulance workers” including staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices that were affected by Covid-19, as well as those seconded or assigned to HSE testing centres.

 

Kevin Callinan said most people would support this acknowledgement of staff who toiled in very high-risk environments when PPE provision was inadequate and there was no vaccine available. “They took massive risks, and potentially exposed their families to the virus in a truly terrifying time. They did it to keep the rest of us safe, and I think most people will welcome this acknowledgement of their selflessness and commitment,” he said.

 

In addition to the recognition measures announced this week, the recent recommendation that additional working time introduced under the Haddington Road agreement (HRA) be restored this July was also linked to civil and public servants’ efforts during the pandemic.

 

The independent body that reported on the hours last week cited this as one of the reasons for recommending the full implementation of its recommendations, despite the fact that this would go beyond the €150 earmarked for implementation in 2022.

 

In its recommendation, the body said “the committed efforts of staff during the last two years in meeting patient, healthcare, population vaccine, security needs and the requirements of delivery for existing and new social welfare and pandemic payment measures has to be acknowledged.

 

“The Independent Body has to take into consideration the contemporaneous working environment and the human pressures on those striving to address these challenges on a daily basis and in extremely trying circumstances.”

 

Read the Department of the Taoiseach statement HERE.

 

Read Fórsa’s statement HERE.

 

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