10 NEWS
Tony Fitzpatrick, INMO director of industrial relations, reports on issues
National Joint Council The National Joint Council (NJC) is the primary forum for the management of industrial relations in the health service. The NJC meets every two months when the staff panel and senior managers within the HSE and Sec- tion 38 organisations address national matters and local issues that require national input.
The INMO plays a pivotal part on the NJC staff panel, which also includes SIPTU, FORSA, IMO, MLSA, Con- nect and Unite. The purpose of the staff panel is to use the collective might of all the unions involved to work as one on behalf of all our members within the health sector. The most recent meeting of the NJC took place on October 2, 2019. I have written to the NJC chair seeking to progress a number of matters raised in that forum. Issues emanating from the acute division, community nursing, social care and intellectual disabilities nursing were all discussed at the meeting. An update on the issues discussed are outlined below. National Joint Council Update
Pension issues The NJC staff panel wishes to meet with the HSE regarding pensions before the end of October 2019. The unions wish to highlight significant issues such as delays in receiving pen- sions, calculations and matters pertaining to retirement on grounds of ill health. Investigations unit The unions outlined their ongoing concerns about inves- tigations units. These include de l ay, non - adhe renc e t o policies, non-agreement on investigators and terms of ref- erence, lack of coordination between commissions and investigations units, inability to communicate with the investi- gations unit, etc. The unions made a proposal, which was acceptable to management, that an agreed person with the relevant IR experience would be commissioned to meet with the unions to hear their issues of concern, subsequently meet with the unit, and then make recommendations to address the matter. The HSE committed to reverting within seven days with a proposed person to conduct this review as well terms of reference for consideration. Staff mobility/transfer panel The HSE commi t t ed t o arranging a meeting on this issue with the staff panel before the end of October 2019.
Temporary appointments
Employment control measures The HSE has failed to engage with the staff panel which represents the staff working within the health service with regards to the employment control measure being put in place at their inception. The staff panel was advised previ- ously that this was a temporary measure, however, it continues to be in place and therefore a meeting is required between relevant senior management across the various pillars of the HSE and the staff panel. A meeting on homecare sup- port services should involve all the unions and grades that link to these services. The unions are awaiting a date for this meeting from the HSE. Breastfeeding breaks Breastfeeding breaks within the health sector are to be increased from six months to 24 months. This follows a claim lodged by the unions on behalf of employees. The unions welcomed that the HSE has developed a policy with regards to same. The staff panel has provided feedback with regards to the policy and seeks an implementation date for its introduction. Homecare support services
will be arranged in regard to this matter. Red weather alerts The HSE is to revert with regards to its engagement with the Brothers of Charity regarding issues during the red weather alert and also on mat- ters raised with regard to the incomplete application of the red weather alert circular in the National Ambulance Service. The HSE is to arrange a ple- nary national meeting with voluntary bodies regarding intellectual disability services. The staff panel is to submit an agenda and the meeting will be convened as a matter of urgency. NiSRP The staff panel outlined that issues of concern remain with regards to the appropri- ate payment of staff within the eastern region through the National Integrated Staff Records and Pay Program (NiSRP). It also highlighted concerns about the lack of local engagement involv- i ng t rade un i ons and HR management. The staff panel suggested there should be no further roll out of this pro- gramme in the south east, pending the matters in the east being addressed. The staff panel will revert with specific issues of concern that remain outstanding. Intellectual disability service
The chair of the NJC com- mitted to the WRC offering a date for conciliation on this matter. The unions remain dissatisfied that over 2,000 individuals are acting up in a higher capacity as per HSE circular 017/2013. The circu- lar clearly outlines that after 12 months the post should be permanently advertised, how- ever this has not occurred, and individuals have acted up for as long as eight years. These individuals have rights with regards to the post they have been filling. The HSE agreed to revert within seven days on the staff panel’s request that none of the posts occupied by individ- uals acting up in a temporary capacity should be advertised, pending conclusion of the WRC process. Furthermore, the fact was raised that suc- cessful adjudication outcomes are being impeded by the HSE with regards to regularisation of individuals into these posts. Agency The staff panel outlined the continued excessive use of agency staff, with over €200 million being paid to agency to date, based on the data shared prior to the meeting. The HSE is to share its policy on con- verting the agency staff to direct employment which has not been shared to date. The HSE is to provide details as a matter of urgency. A meeting
Termination of pregnancy
Some specific matters on termination of pregnancy
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