Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The next step is for the Government to make an appropriate, reasonable offer and to re-engage in the WRC process. That should be done within the hour in order that we can ensure that patients who have appointments scheduled in our 38 hospitals and are being cared for in other healthcare facilities are not disrupted. That is the next step.

We saw good faith demonstrated by the workers and the unions when the strike was deferred. That happened because they believed there would be meaningful engagement by the Government side, but that did not materialise. What materialised was a completely inadequate offer that was rejected on Friday. It is my understanding there has been no engagement by the Government side with the unions since, despite what the Taoiseach has said and the blame-shifting to the low paid workers and their representatives.

The fact that the HSE has requested the money from the Department indicates that there is no dispute over whether the workers should be paid appropriately or that the job evaluation process was signed off on four years ago, with the evaluations taking place two years ago. It was deemed that the workers were underpaid. The dispute lies in the fact that the Government is unwilling to live up to that side of the agreement. On behalf of workers and the patients who will be disrupted, is it not sensible to resolve the dispute now, not tomorrow, the next day or the day after that? Will there be an appropriate offer to re-engage with the Workplace Relations Commission and lift the phone to trade union officials in order to commit to meaningful engagement to find a resolution on behalf of workers and patients who are relying on the health service?

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