Strike vote by 100 staff at Sligo nursing home

More than 100 staff at the Nazareth House nursing home in Sligo are to go on strike from February 1st in a dispute over the outsourcing of catering services.

Local Siptu organiser John McCarrick said strike notice had been served on management following overwhelming support for an all-out strike.

He conceded that the action would have a serious impact on the 130 elderly residents at the nursing home, which is located at Church Hill, Sligo.

Campbell Catering is due to take over catering services at the nursing home from February 1st, and Mr McCarrick said there was huge concern among union members that the trend of outsourcing would spread to other areas of the health sector.

The 107 Siptu members who balloted for strike action include catering, care, clerical and support staff.

Mr McCarrick said job losses were not the issue as under a transfer arrangement, the 11 kitchen staff directly involved had been told that they would be employed by Campbell Catering.

"They don't want that as it is a different ethos when one is employed by a private profit-making contractor."

Siptu said there had been no contact from the management about arrangements for providing cover at the home in the event of a strike.

Mr McCarrick said the union was still available for talks on the issue.

Originally owned by the Sisters of Nazareth, the home is now run by Nazareth House Management Ltd, which has representatives of the HSE (northwest) and the sisters on the board.

Work has begun on a multimillion euro development on the site which will provide sheltered housing for the elderly, a new 50- bed residential unit and shopping and community facilities.

The Sisters of Nazareth, who have been in Sligo since 1910, ran Nazareth House as an orphanage for several decades.

In a statement, Nazareth House Management said that after fully considering the present catering arrangements, it was decided that due to increased regulations and health and safety requirements, the new catering arrangement was the only course open to it.

"As a care organisation, Nazareth House is not equipped to provide these services in the future," the statement added.

The management said that in recent years, pay and conditions of staff had been brought into line with that of similar grades in the public sector. This had resulted in "very substantial" pay increases for all staff.

It said Siptu had been given assurances that the pay and conditions of the "small number" of staff who were to transfer to Campbell Catering would be secure.

Stressing that Nazareth House Management had been in discussions with Siptu over the last number of months, the statement added: "It is our intention to continue discussions in order to avert an unnecessary dispute of this nature."