Emer Gallagher
“THIS IS only the tip of the iceberg. If they get their way there is going to be significant cuts. The only way we can see those cuts stopping is if people support our campaign.”
This was the message from Padraig Mulligan, assistant general secretary of the trade union IMPACT last Wednesday as workers from Mayo General Hospital staged a protest over the recruitment embargo from the HSE.
The workers were protesting over the recruitment freeze and health cutbacks that have been in place since September 2007.
Speaking to the union members who carried placards and marched in protest during lunchtime on Wednesday, Mr Mulligan said: “We are no longer prepared to stand idly by and see the rights of workers and the public diluted, and in some cases abolished, by the HSE who, it now appears, know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
Mr Mulliagan said that 19 positions have not been filled in MGH, along with 18 primary, community and continuing care posts across the county, which has had a significant effect on patient care.
“If Professor Drumm and HSE corporate don’t listen to what we have to say things are going to get very serious. They are spending huge amounts of money on advisors and those advisors are defending the indefensible. They would be far better off spending it on the health service itself,” Mr Mulligan told The Mayo News.
Speaking to The Mayo News a worker from Mayo General Hospital, who did not wish to be identified, outlined why she, and her colleagues, were taking part in the protest.
“I suppose we are trying to highlight, from our perspective, the impact it is having on us. If we don’t have the resources we can’t provide it to the public. Some employees are doing their own jobs and other people’s jobs. It is also affecting waiting lists and it is definitely affecting patient care,” she said.
“It has come to the stage where we have to protest. We have been long enough trying to negotiate without resorting to this.”
Addressing the crowd in Castlebar last week, Mr Mulligan said the terms and conditions of employment of the IMPACT members had been viciously attacked.
“The actions of the HSE are hurting services. The reduction in staffing levels is leading to the cancellation of services to the public. Services provided by speech and language therapists, community welfare officers, physiotherapists, psychologists and other staff are suffering as a result of the cuts introduced by the HSE,” he said.
“The provision of a proper health service is a fundamental right of every citizen of this state and should not be determined by one’s ability to pay.”
Earlier this month the HSE wrote to individual staff warning them that if their work-to-rule worsens, they could face disciplinary measures. This was countered by IMPACT which warned the HSE that any attempt to penalise its members for obeying union instructions would result in an immediate response from the union.
Since last month, 28,000 IMPACT members in the health service have been working to rule over staffing levels,with the union insisting that patient care has not been jeopardised. IMPACT has 500 members throughout Mayo with over 75 per cent of those employed by the HSE.
