Talks at the Workplace Relations Commission aimed at resolving a long running dispute involving thousands of healthcare workers employed by charities and voluntary organisations funded by the Government are to resume on Friday.
In a joint statement issued late on Monday evening by Siptu, Fórsa and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INTO), union negotiators said “some progress was made at the talks, however, there are a number of outstanding issues that remain to be resolved”.
Some 5,000 Siptu members working at more than 20 organisations operating across the country including Ability West, Cheshire Ireland and Rehab have voted to take industrial action if an agreement cannot be reached.
The talks are the latest attempt to resolve a dispute that has been rumbling on for years.
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Workers in the Section 39 sector, many of whom work as carers, administrators and healthcare professionals with some of the country’s best known charities and voluntary organisations, had their pay reduced along with public sector colleagues in the wake of the financial crash but did not benefit from subsequent measures intended to restore the money.
In many cases their employers are funded by the Department of Health or HSE but the staff contend they do not enjoy the same pay or conditions as counterparts doing similar work but while directly employed by government agencies.
In October 2023 a strike in the sector was avoided after last minute talks resulted in a deal that provided for pay increases and provided for a process intended to address the issue of the link to pay and conditions in the HSE and other government agencies.
That issue has not been resolved, however, and while progress is understood to have been made on Monday with regard to projected pay increases, differences persisted between the two sides persist over who would be covered by any agreement.
Aside from the core group of S39 healthcare workers, thousands more staff working in areas like homelessness, and family services are hoping any agreement reached would benefit them.
One stumbling block encountered on Monday, however, is whether workers in organisations that tendered to provide services would be covered.
Employer groups fear some funding streams may also be excluded leaving them in a situation where pay increases and supported for some staff but not for others.
