A news update for members of IMPACT's Health & Welfare division from national secretary Louise O'Donnell.

 

Dear Colleagues,

I have compiled an update on a number of key issues, please see below for your information.

Louise O'Donnell
National secretary

Haddington Road Agreement
Management have issued implementation plans to achieve the savings required under Haddington Road. It is accepted that the unions have delivered on additional hours. There is, however, a management issue around the value they have achieved and the cash that has been released. Management is now looking at how the additional hours are being implemented in some cases.

Regularisation
Management are still processing claims in relation to the regularisation of posts, particularly in cases where people did not receive the acting allowance.

Temporary Appointments Protocol
The temporary appointments protocol is near completion. There remains one outstanding issue around assimilation at the higher scales for temporary appointments.

Appeals Procedures
Unions are still looking for management to agree an appeals procedure for members who've met the criteria but where the regularisation has been turned down.

Standardisation of Annual Leave in the Voluntary Hospitals
Under the terms of Haddington Road it was agreed that management would re-engage on the issue of realigning annual leave entitlements in voluntary hospitals with the HSE's standardised arrangements.  A number of meetings took place but no progress was made. The issues were scheduled for a Labour Court hearing on 4th June 2014, at which the Court referred the issue back to conciliation for further discussion. A conciliation hearing is scheduled for 30th July 2014.

Oversight Body
The Health Oversight Body meets every six weeks and deals with issues as they arise.

The post-2011 scales
The circular setting out the new scales has issued and is in the process of being implemented.

Sleepovers
The issues relating to sleepover duty, rate of pay and compliance with the Organisation of Working Time Act have again been referred to the Labour Court.  However, this time the referral is on the basis of a joint referral from the unions and the employer and the conciliation officer will issue a report to the Court reflecting the engagement that took place during the numerous conciliation hearings. The Court has scheduled a hearing on 22nd August 2014. Assuming this date suits all parties it will go ahead on this day.

Clerical and admin
A newly published briefing paper by IMPACT  - Health service clerical, administrative and management staffing levels - shows that clerical, administrative and management staff make up just 15.5% of total health service personnel – down from 16% in July 2009. Read more HERE.

HIPE Coding
A meeting was held on 23rd June 2014 at IMPACT's head office and branches were invited to send up to two HIPE Coders from their area.  Following on from this we have written to management seeking a meeting in relation to a list of issues which were identified at the meeting and this is now scheduled for 1st August 2014.  It is hoped to hold a further meeting for the group in the Autumn.

Universal Health Insurance
IMPACT, in conjunction with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, is now pursuing its policy in relation to Universal Health Insurance. In particular, that the government should not go ahead with the current funding model.

A policy paper is currently in development and we plan to engage with the political system in the early Autumn.

National Business Services (Shared Services)
We have been made aware that the national director of National Business Services (NBS) is currently arranging a series of sessions with staff as part of a process to improve how shared services are delivered. IMPACT has written to the director to point out that under the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements, the HSE must present detailed plans for any change and engage with us on the concerns and difficulties that such change may present.  There is no substitute for this and members are asked to bring to the attention of their branches any attempt to impose change where the required consultation has not taken place, wherever this might be.

Payroll
It has been recently been confirmed that the HSE will comply with the agreement to bring the Children and Families payroll back in-house. Discussions about this will take place later in the year.  It has also been confirmed that the that payroll, as a whole, is likely to be delivered in-house.  More information on this will be circulated when available.

HR/Libraries
IMPACT has written to the HR Director regarding plans to make significant changes in the Health Library Service.  No discussion has taken place with us at all on this.  As a result of the letter, a commitment has been given by the HSE that no action will take place until the required engagement on change has completed.

Finance Reform
Following a recent memo to staff from the HSE's chief financial officer (CFO), regarding upcoming changes, IMPACT wrote to him setting out the need to engage with us. Members should be aware that a number of assistant CFO roles have been created from among the existing cohort of ANDs but that there was no discussion on this.  There should be no cooperation with further proposed change until the required engagement is completed.

Performance Management
There have been no further developments on performance management. The position remains as previously in that, under the terms of Croke Park, there was agreement to roll out performance management to Grade 8 and up, including equivalent grades, but not to grades below that. Management did look for a meeting on this and a meeting took place but there have been no further developments.

Disabilities
A meeting with Pat Healy, national director, is scheduled for 9th July.  IMPACT will seek to construct a process to agree a national template to deal with industrial relations issues that may arise from the Value for Money Report.

Audiology
Agreement has been reached to construct a forum to deal with the recommendations contained in the National Audiology Review Report. The Labour Relations Commission has been invited to assist the process and the Commissions’ nominee for that is expected to be confirmed shortly.

National Ambulance Service
An instruction of non–cooperation has been issued in response to the outsourcing of emergency products and services. The employer side has requested details on the matter and have committed to meet IMPACT upon receipt of this information.

Hospital Pharmacists
Due to the employer's lack of action on the National Hospital Pharmacy Review IMPACT has instructed hospital pharmacy members to withdraw co–operation with new developments in pharmacy.

The employer has informed IMPACT that a management team will be convened and a meeting will be scheduled in the near future.

Private Hospitals

  • Mater Private: Following a ballot of the IMPACT members, at the Maters Private in Dublin and Limerick, an agreed version of the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) will be introduced from the 1st July 2014. A second ballot voted in favour of negotiated changes to the defined benefit pension scheme at the Hospital.
  • Bon Secours: The Haddington Road Agreement has been implemented, effective from 1st May 2014.
  • St. Vincent’s Private Consultants Clinic - Pension: Matters regarding the conversion of the defined benefit scheme to a defined contribution pension scheme are under discussion.

CORU
The register for the following professions will open in the Autumn:

  • Dieticians
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Speech and Language Therapists. 

The registration fee is still €100 and will not be reviewed until 2016.

Social Work
Almost all social workers have now been registered. There has been criticism because of the considerable length of time it has taken CORU to complete this task. IMPACT continues to seek to ensure that CORU is more receptive to its registrants and that CORU gives value for money. CPD will commence in the Autumn, and it is expected that the section of the Act concerning fitness to practice will commence early in the new year. IMPACT will represent members who find themselves in difficulty, but they must be members of the union in benefit.

Children and Families – Tùsla

Clerical Admin
There was a well attended clerical admin meeting in IMPACT on 25th June 2014. The review of the clerical admin staff has commenced and the four initial areas for review have been selected.  Cork, part of Dublin North, the Midlands and Galway/Roscommon. Christina Carney will brief IMPACT members in Túsla prior to the attendance of the review team.  Branches in the particular regions will be notified.

It is expected that all of the admin structure will be reviewed.  The dates of the meetings will be circulated but they will commence in August.  The members of the review team are Mr. Peter McLoone and Ms. Nuala Clarke.

National Joint Council  – Tùsla
The first meeting of the National Joint Council took place on Thursday 10th July. Ms. Joan Carmichael chaired the meeting.  The purpose and function of the National Joint Council is to ensure that there are good industrial relations. (The constitution of the National Joint Council and Staff Council is included in the Framework Agreement which allowed for the establishment of the Agency).

HR Meetings - Túsla
National meetings between IMPACT and management take place at least once a month. These meetings deal with the many issues concerning IMPACT members in the new agency, including those for the following grades, in addition to others:

  • Social Care Staff
  • Family Support Workers
  • Social Workers
  • Clerical Admin staff
  • Information Officers
  • Children First Advice Officers

Vocational Groups
The inaugural meeting of the Health Professional Forum took place.  It was very well attended by reps from all the health and welfare vocational groups and was addressed by Ms. Louise O’Donnell, national secretary, Anna Leonard, finance officer, who informed the participants about the funding of vocational groups and Mr. Niall Shanahan, communications officer, who focussed on communications within the union.  The meeting was chaired by Mr. Tony Martin, chairperson of the Health & Welfare executive committee. It is planned to hold the next meeting in the Autumn.