Date set for major industrial action in health service

NEARLY 30,000 health service workers have served notice of industrial action from May 21st in a dispute over recruitment restrictions put in place by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The trade union Impact, which represents health professionals and therapists, social care workers, administrative and managerial staff, said that its members would refuse to co-operate with HSE advisers or the HSE's transformation programme.

The union said that as part of the action, its members would also block non-emergency overtime, out-of-hours work and refuse to cover work and posts affected by a recruitment freeze introduced by the HSE.

Impact warned that it was also planning other forms of action, including work stoppages "in particular services or certain parts of the country" after May 21st.

The HSE called on Impact to withdraw the threat of industrial action and to engage in dialogue "with a view to agreeing measures which can be implemented to ensure the health service lives within its budget in 2008".

The HSE maintained that the threat of industrial action had been outlawed under the national agreement, Towards 2016, and that it would be the cause of unnecessary concern and worry to those who availed of both community and hospital services.

The union said that its industrial action would be aimed at HSE senior management and that it would minimise the effect on patients and services.

The union said that its members would ensure "the safety and dignity of patients and service users".

Impact said that it would be available for talks with the HSE on the provision of emergency cover.

It also said that its action would have "an immediate and serious effect on the functioning of the HSE bureaucracy".

The national secretary of Impact, Kevin Callinan, said that the staffing freeze was having a devastating effect on services and had delayed promised improvements in areas such as primary care, mental health services and care for older people.

The HSE responded that there was no embargo on recruitment and that over 900 posts had been approved to be filled since January.

Meanwhile, about 8,000 psychiatric nurses are to begin industrial action from today as part of a campaign to secure a new compensation scheme for staff injured at work.

During the dispute the nurses will refuse to do overtime, will refuse to accompany patients to mental health tribunals and will refuse to attend non-essential meetings.