Senior management in the Health Service Executive (HSE) has told staff that while they have a right to protest over pay cuts introduced in the Budget , industrial action planned for next week should not put patients at risk.
In a letter to all staff issued this morning, the HSE's national director of human resources, Sean McGrath, also signalled that the health authority wanted employees to co-operate with the implementation of change and reforms.
Unions have said they will boycott all modernisation and change programmes as part of the protest against the pay cuts introduced for public service staff in the Budget. They are also set to introduce a work to rule.
Unions have served notice to begin industrial action from next Monday. Unions are meeting with HSE management this morning.
In his letter, Mr McGrath said that the HSE, as a service provider, was required not simply to deliver a level of service to our patients and clients, but to change and improve the way services are delivered.
"We need to build changes that benefit patients in 2010 which will be sustainable into the future".
"The proposed industrial action arises from developments prior to the last budget. It reflects the strong anger staff feel and the desire for protest at what happened.
However, while staff have a right to protest, such action should not put patients at risk. Nor should it prevent us - management, staff and trade unions - from working to improve services."
The significant challenge now facing the health service is one that requires the valuable support of, and input from, all staff throughout the organisation".
"We should continue to seek to work in a collaborative way towards implementing agreed change. This is the best way for us to deliver on our priorities", he said.
Mr McGrath said that over the coming days and weeks the HSE would continue to seek engagement with health sector trade unions in order to ensure that staff protests do not diminish the services we offer our patients and clients.
"A communication has today been circulated to all managers within the organisation emphasising their responsibility to engage with staff while taking the measures necessary to maintain safe, responsive services to patients and clients", he said.