IMPACT has learned that some HSE-funded voluntary agencies have sought to impose the terms of the Haddington Road agreement on their staff, despite there being no agreement to do so.

Staff working in funded or ‘Section 39’ employments are not employed directly by the state, do not have the same terms and conditions of employment, and have not been balloted on the agreement.

Among the agencies who have sought to impose HRA terms are Enable Ireland and St Joseph’s Foundation in Charleville, Cork. Both provide disability services.

In a memo to IMPACT industrial staff in July, national secretary Louise O'Donnell said that there had been attempts made by some Section 39 employers to impose HRA terms on staff. Louise said this had also been attempted by some providers of agency staff to the HSE.

Louise said that an earlier Labour Court recommendation on Bon Secours hospital staff, stating that pay be cut in line with the 2009 public sector pay cut, was being cited as the reason for attempts by Section 39 bodies to automatically apply the terms of Haddington Road. Louise said that she has advised the HSE that IMPACT does not accept that there can be an automatic roll-out of Haddington Road Agreement to Section 39 bodies or to agency staff.

IMPACT officials are continuing to gather details on agencies attempting to impose the terms on staff and the union will oppose any such attempts by employers.