Strike action by 500 home helps deferred for two weeks

Next week's threatened strike by up to 500 home helps in Dublin and Wicklow has been deferred for two weeks to allow the HSE to progress arrangements for pay restoration to the staff in question.

If their dispute is not resolved, they will strike on 21 February, and may be joined by staff from a number of other agencies represented by Fórsa.

The 500 home helps work in three so-called Section 39 bodies, which are funded by the HSE to deliver social, health and disability care.

The staff are not government employees, but had pay cuts imposed in line with public servants during the economic crisis.

However, since the recovery, their pay has not been restored in line with their government counterparts.

The home helps in Crumlin Home Care Services, Terenure Home Care Services and Dublin West Home Help Services who voted 94% in favour of strike action were due to stage a stoppage on Friday 7 February - the day before the election.

This had the potential to cause serious disruption to vulnerable service users. 

However, SIPTU Health Division Organiser Paul Bell said that following talks at the Workplace Relations Commission, it had been decided to defer the strike until 21 February to allow the HSE to liaise with the Section 39 agencies in question about when and how pay restoration would take place.

Mr Bell confirmed that SIPTU will also be balloting staff in two other Section 39 agencies in Blanchardstown and Tallaght, as well as in 14 others where a pay restoration process has not yet begun.

The country's largest public service union Fórsa will also be balloting its members in a number of Section 39 agencies on the pay issue.

Subject to the result of that ballot, it will hold a one day strike on 21 February - the same day as SIPTU.