Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The workplace evaluation assessment is not complete: three of the five phases are complete, perhaps the third is complete and the fourth is ongoing. The initial position was that payment would arise when the workplace evaluation scheme was complete. However, in an effort to come to a compromise in the past couple of days, the employer or Government side offered to begin implementation from November 2019. Unfortunately, that was rejected.

As I said, this can be resolved, and the offer to go to the Labour Court stands. If it is a matter of trust, the Labour Court is independent and will hear all sides of the argument in making a determination. The dispute can be resolved in that way and we can avoid any negative effects for patients across these 38 hospitals. It is unusual for the union side to refuse to go to the Labour Court and I hope that it will reconsider.

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