Unions say they will not accept unilateral HSE decisions to outsource services

Trade unions have told the HSE they will not accept a ban on industrial action or unilateral decisions to outsource services as proposed in a plan by health managers last Friday for dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

Trade unions have, however, welcomed the move by the HSE to lift restrictions on staff recruitment in the face of a potential major surge in demand for health services as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.

In proposals circulated to unions on Friday, health service managers said they would seek provision to move staff to different locations, to change working hours and to suspend any form of industrial action, either official or unofficial, as part of plans to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

The HSE said that if a national public health emergency was declared in relation to Covid-19 the cancellation of annual and discretionary leave would, if necessary, be considered by the National Crisis Management Team.

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The HSE said some or all identified non-essential services may have to be cancelled or postponed in order to deal with the effects of the infection.

“Employees in positions that are curtailed or temporarily suspended [non-essential services] will be deemed available to be redeployed to assist in other essential service areas that are experiencing staffing shortages,” the proposals stated.

“If necessary employees may be required to work different hours or in a different location.”

The HSE also proposed that some work could be outsourced where it was not feasible to redeploy its own personnel to carry out such roles.

Trade unions indicated that they did not want a conflict with management over the proposals and there were no plans for industrial action, but they could not sign up to a no-strike clause with no end date.

Informed sources also said there was concern at the absence of a commitment by the HSE to bring work outsourced during the Covid-19 outbreak back into the public service after the emergency situation had ended.

Equally focused

The trade union Fórsa said on Sunday that unions were working closely with the HSE in a rapidly developing situation, and all parties were “equally focused on responding in the most effective way possible”.

However, it said the health staff panel representing all unions on Friday had said the ban on industrial action and the provision for outsourcing were not acceptable.

It said unions told HSE they would not agree to any unilateral outsourcing and any such proposal must be in line with the provisions of the current public service agreement.

It said unions also contended that there should be clearer language with regard to the activation/cessation of the circumstances given rise to the protocol on redeployment.

The HSE said on Sunday that it was its policy “to maximise the re deployment of critical skills across our services and ensure maximum flexibility of critical resources. This is part of best practice emergency planning.”

Siptu said it welcomed written confirmation from the HSE that all barriers to the recruitment of health staff had now been fully lifted in an effort to support critical clinical services in dealing with Covid-19.