Industry Correspondent
Clerical, support staff and healthcare professional personnel working in hospital emergency departments are to receive additional annual leave in each of the the next 3 years as part of a proposed settlement of a dispute with the HSE.
Unions representing the staff concerned lodged “knock-on” claims after nurses working in emergency departments secured a package of measures including additional leave as part a deal that averted a threatened strike in 2016.
In proposals put forward earlier in December, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) suggested that other emergency department staff should also now receive additional leave in a full and final settlement of all claims.
Under the WRC proposals support staff, such as porters and cleaners, clerical and administrative employees, and allied health professional personnel, such as radiographers, who work permanently or for the majorority of their time in emergency departments will receive one additional day of leave in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The proposed deal would apply to staff who were in place between January 1st, 2016 and March 1st, 2016 and who remain in employment in emergency departments.
The WRC proposals do not apply to doctors working in hospital emergency departments.
The proposals state that “as far as possible the taking of the leave should be done in a way that minimises the requirements for the bringing in of replacement locum staff”.
“In the event of a qualifying staff member retiring, or otherwise leaving their employment during the 3-year period (1 January 2019 - 31 December 2021) such staff will be permitted to avail of the full 3-day concession prior to departure.”
The WRC proposals state that the offer “is in full and final settlement of all claims by relevant staff consequent on emergency department agreement (for) nursing personnel December 2015/January 2016”.
“If any part of this proposal is rejected by either side, the offer, in its totality, is withdrawn and deemed not to have been tabled.”
