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

I ask the Opposition to also take account of that advice.

It is disappointing that the WRC talks, which were aimed at averting the strike by up to 10,000 SIPTU members, concluded yesterday without an agreement. As we are aware, in early June, SIPTU announced that 10,000 members working as support staff in 38 hospitals and healthcare facilities would engage in industrial action for periods of 24 hours on six dates in late June and early July. The WRC sought a deferral of the first two dates of strike action and invited the parties to resume talks on 20 June. This was agreed by SIPTU and was very much welcomed. However, SIPTU did advise that if a resolution was not found, it intended to take action on 26 June and again on 2, 3 and 4 July. Regrettably, that is now happening.

Constructive and positive engagement by the parties took place at the WRC. An offer was made by Government that staff in the grades concerned would be moved onto the appropriate salary scale starting from November this year. This would be on top of a 2.75% pay increase already guaranteed under the public service stability agreement, substantial benefits of the recent new entry deal and the payment of annual increments to most staff. We believe this was a fair and reasonable offer that would have enabled the implementation of the job evaluation scheme. Unfortunately, this has been rejected and therefore deemed inadequate to resolve the dispute.

The offer to go to the Labour Court remains on the table. Deputy Pearse Doherty referred to the strike as a last resort. It is not a last resort because the Labour Court is the next step and it is our deep regret that, on this occasion, the union concerned has refused to go to the Labour Court. That is the way to resolve this dispute and ensure that no patients are affected tomorrow.

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