SIPTU members in St Patrick’s Hospital vote for industrial action

SIPTU members working in St. Patrick’s Hospital, Dublin 8, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, up to and including strike action, in a ballot counted today (Tuesday, 16th February). The vote by 97% of those balloted for industrial action follows a management refusal to implement a Labour Court recommendation to deploy Health Care Assistants. SIPTU Organiser, Aideen Carberry, said “Our members were trained up as Health Care Assistants (HCA) in 2012. It was made clear to them by management that upon completion of their training they would be deployed as HCAs and awarded the appropriate remuneration for this role.” She added: “In 2014, management approached members of the household and catering departments to take on additional duties, some of which SIPTU argued were duties pertaining to the role of HCA. In November 2014, when it became clear that management would not be honouring its previous commitments to deploy the workers as HCAs, the matter was referred to the Labour Relations Commission for conciliation. “Following this the matter was referred to a Labour Court hearing in September 2015. The Labour Court made a recommendation in our members’ favour. However, management has refused to implement this recommendation leaving our members with no option but to vote for industrial action.”