ALMOST 1,200 laboratory technicians in the health services have voted by nine to one to accept new pay proposals. The endorsement removes the threat of serious disruption to hospital services from industrial action by the technicians.
Under the terms, technicians will receive increases of 5.5 per cent at the bottom of the basic salary scale and 10.5 per cent at the top, with another 2 per cent for those with at least 17 years' service. This means pay rises of £900 to £2,800 a year, making the basic scale £16,926 to £25,595.
The 2 per cent long service increment is paid only at the basic grade. Supervisory and management staff are restricted to maximum increases of 10.5 per cent. The senior management scale now rises by £1,500 at the bottom to £28,730 and by £3,600 to £37,724 at the top over eight years.
This brings to an end the pay negotiations between the Health Service Employers' Association and paramedical groups claiming traditional pay linkages with the nurses. The total additional cost of the claims settled with laboratory technicians, radiographers, social workers, physiotherapists and others is estimated at £14 million. The nurses' award cost at least £87 million.
Like other paramedics, the laboratory technicians have been promised a professional review group, which will report in l2 months, to look at changes in education, training and career structures. A separate service review to examine improvements in the delivery of services to patients could take two to three years.
Welcoming the ballot outcome yesterday, SIPTU representative Ms Helen Franklin said: "There still remains a lot of work to be done but obviously we are glad the prospect of industrial conflict has been removed.
HSEA chief executive Mr Gerard Barry also welcomed the result. Meanwhile, the HSEA renews talks with hospital consultants on the new public contract today.