Work-to-rule action planned by healthcare workers suspended

Industrial action planned by healthcare workers as part of a row over recruitment has been suspended.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), Forsa, Connect, Unite, and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association have suspended a work-to-rule action due to begin on Monday.

The action was being taken over the HSE’s pay and numbers strategy, which the INMO said “imposed a fixed employment ceiling across all health services” and suppressed vacant posts since December 31 2023.

Workers said restrictions on recruitment were a breach of safe staffing agreements between healthcare unions and the HSE.

The work-to-rule and other non-cooperation action by union members in the HSE and Section 38 voluntary hospitals was suspended after 22 hours of engagement at the Workplace Relations Commission.

Proposals from those meetings are to be put to union members.

INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: “While progress has been made with the HSE in these proposals on ensuring that vacant posts will be filled and streamlining the approval process to undo the delaying bureaucracy around the process of filling vacant posts.

“Nurses and midwives will now be balloted on the proposals.

“They will want to be assured by their employer that the delivery of safe staffing is an immediate priority.”

Head of Forsa’s health and welfare Division, Ashley Connolly, said its divisional executive met on Sunday and made the decision to stand down their industrial action to consider the proposals.

“For the last 18 months, we have been driven by a concern both on the effect on service delivery of the pay and numbers strategy and our members’ concerns about staffing services properly.”

Brian McAvinue from the Connect Trade Union said: “While progress has been made, there is still a body of work to be done on the commitments made on delivering direct employment.”

The HSE said services will operate normally on Monday after agreement on a range of matters including processes for reviewing staff vacancies and for accelerating recruitment to vacant posts.

HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster said: “We are very pleased that the threat of disruption tomorrow has been lifted and our commitment to all of our workforce and all representative bodies is reflected in the agreement.”

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “I want to thank everyone for their work over the weekend in reaching an agreement which will ensure that all health services will operate as normal on Monday morning, and patients can be assured that scheduled appointments will go ahead as planned.

“This agreement ensures patient safety and continued delivery of all essential services.

“We have seen unprecedented investment and growth in the number of staff working in our health service over the last five years, and I am committed to further grow and modernise the workforce to meet the needs of our growing and aging population.

“I am delighted that our plans to recruit over 6,500 additional staff in 2025 will continue, while this agreement will ensure that the HSE continue to operate within their allocated pay budget.”