SIPTU and INMO members employed at Caredoc facilities have announced their intention to commence industrial action in the form of a withdrawal of labour, effective from December 18th.
SIPTU and the INMO are seeking the implementation of the 2023 WRC pay agreement for Section 39 organisations, specifically the 8% increase due to members working in Caredoc.
Caredoc nurses provide a range of services around the country, including GP out-of-hours services, telephone triage and community intervention.
The HSE has confirmed to the trade unions that in May 2025 they provided €647,834 to Caredoc for the purpose of paying this increase to staff. The unions are seeking for this to be applied without delay. Thus far money paid by the HSE has not been applied to members’ salaries, and the unions state that this warrants a special inquiry into the funding model and fiscal responsibility.
SIPTU Health Organiser, Ger McNally said: “Our members are left with no alternative but to engage in industrial action to achieve the pay increases as set down in the October 2023 Workplace Relations Commission Agreement.”
He added: “Despite numerous attempts to engage with management, no resolution has been found. Our members deserve to be paid properly for the important role they play in ensuring the public has access to healthcare 24/7. It is not acceptable for our members who work in a number of roles including call takers, drivers, receptionists, and administration staff to not have received their pay increases. This is creating huge financial pressures for them as they meet the cost-of-living challenges facing all workers.”
Mr McNally concluded: “Our INMO nursing colleagues have also notified the employer of their decision to engage in industrial action. It is hoped that this joint approach will leave the employer in no doubt that members of both unions are clearly saying they have had enough and are willing to engage in industrial action to ensure the pay increases due to them are applied. We call on Caredoc to come to the table with a proposal to pay the increases due to our members to avoid any escalation of this dispute.”
INMO Industrial Relations Officer Grainne Walsh said: “Caredoc nurses provide such an invaluable service around the country, taking significant pressure off acute and public health services.
“There is no justification for this employer holding this money and not paying it to their staff as stipulated when it was paid to them.
“Our members have no desire to withdraw their services in the middle of winter, but all other avenues have been exhausted. We will be meeting with workplace representatives to discuss next steps and ensure that all contingency and organisational arrangements are in place for work stoppages.
“The employer has had more than enough time and opportunity to resolve this pay issue, and our members are now forced to apply additional pressure to ensure they are fairly paid.”