Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy Dillon pointed out, the offer of a 5% increase cannot be accepted. It is as simple as that. All these workers were treated the same when the pay cuts came. All they are asking for is the same treatment when pay is being replaced. The figure of 5% is the exact reason there is a problem with recruitment and retention in the service. There is a difference of €4.20 per hour between section 39 workers and HSE workers. It is clear and simple that the longer pay restoration is avoided, the longer workers in section 39 organisations will be out. We cannot paint enough the pressure that services are going to be under. The Government will say the HSE will take on all this work while the strike is on, but nobody in this House believes that the HSE is capable of doing that work at the minute because it is under so much pressure. It will, therefore, be outsourced again to private companies. We are pleading with the Government to get around the table, bring the unions back in, treat the section 39 workers the exact same and ensure pay parity for them for doing the same amount of work.

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