Junior doctors have voted to accept a deal that they say will tackle key issues such as “unsafe” working hours, difficulties in getting paid for hours worked and study leave.
Earlier this year, non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHD) voted overwhelmingly to support a campaign of industrial action over what they said were routine breaches of the European working time directive, which governs their working conditions.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) maintained there are very high levels of compliance with the directive. However, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said NCHDs continue to be required to work longer hours than what is legal and safe , often in breach of the directive.
The IMO also raised issue with difficulties related to pay when junior doctors moved hospital, as they regularly do.
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Talks between the IMO and the health service on the issue began in late August and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly signalled a willingness to address the situation, saying that “legacy issues will be stopped . . . issues around working hours, working shifts of 24 hours, sometimes 36 hours . . . it isn’t right”.
Earlier this month, the union said it reached an agreement with the Department of Health and the HSE on the issue, and would ballot its 7,500 NCHD members. The IMO said it also secured negotiations on an “entirely new” NCHD contract, to begin in January.
On Tuesday, the IMO announced that its NCHD members voted in favour of the agreement which will “help eliminate unsafe and illegal working hours”.
The ballot concluded on Monday night, with 81 per cent of the votes cast being in favour of accepting the agreement, the union said.
Some of the key elements of the agreement include the introduction of rostering rules where NCHDs must be granted appropriate rest and employers will be financially penalised where hours breach the legal limit, as well as a nationally agreed time sheet to ensure NCHDs get paid for all hours worked.
The agreement will also see enhanced training supports and guaranteed study leave for gateway or mandatory exams, and the development of a new centralised payroll system to alleviate the ongoing problems of emergency tax for NCHDs each time they move hospital.
Dr John Cannon, chairman of the IMO NCHD committee, welcomed the outcome of the vote.
“This agreement is a milestone in our campaign to reform working conditions for NCHDs in the Irish health services. However, it does not mark the end of our campaign,” he said.
“The real goal remains to negotiate a comprehensive, fit-for-purpose new contract for NCHDs, and that task begins in new negotiations in January. We expect that the HSE and all hospitals will now abide by the terms of this agreement and the IMO will be monitoring compliance.
“NCHDs have been left to deal with unsafe working conditions for too long and if the HSE does not ensure compliance we will take industrial action.”
