As we enter October and an increasingly difficult time for the health service, please find below some key updates.
1. COVID compensation
The INMO was the first union in Ireland to call for COVID compensation for frontline healthcare workers. It has been a long, ongoing battle, which many of you will have seen play out in the media.
We first lodged a formal claim with the HSE in November 2020 for some form of. We later partnered with other trade unions to advance the issue. We have taken the employer to the Workplace Relations Commission and eventually on to the Labour Court to secure a positive outcome.
We have also raised this in the media and directly with the political system. The INMO has been in regular contact with all political parties on this matter, and many of you took the time to write to your local TDs on the issue.
This has been a long process. The government has publicly hinted at a new public holiday, which would be welcome generally to bring Ireland closer to the EU average of 12 public holidays, but the INMO has consistently said that specific, special recognition for healthcare workers must be granted. Especially in the context of issues like extra hours worked (often unpaid) and meal breaks untaken.
The Labour Court has recommended direct engagement on the matter and that will occur shortly.
We will continue pushing for appropriate compensation and recognition. The coming weeks will likely be crucial. I will keep you informed on any progress.
2. October 1st pay increases - Building Momentum
October sees the first round of general pay changes under the Building Momentum agreement which members approved earlier this year. Pay is increasing by 1% or €500 (whichever is higher) on October 1st. Premium pay, overtime, and fixed allowances will also be increasing by 1%.
All Nursing and Midwifery grades up to and including DON Band 1 will get the 1% increase. (Higher grades who received full restoration on July 1st are not comprehended.) This will be followed by a similar 1% increase in October 2022.
We are also progressing other matters covered by Building Momentum within the agreement’s timeframe, including sectoral bargaining on the issue of the pay increase for the managerial and analogous grades.
We also continue to engage on the issue of working hours with the HRA hours implementation body which is due to conclude its work shortly.
3. Staffing and overcrowding
Increased problems with staffing and overcrowding have been raised by members across the country, and by our Executive Council. The INMO has sought realistic reductions of services to cope, and for additional supports from the private hospital sector going into winter.
We cannot tolerate these unsafe levels of overcrowding – it is clear that a properly funded winter plan is urgently needed, which we have sought from the HSE. We will be raising this issue continuously in workplaces, the media, and in protests, until a satisfactory resolution.
4. Menopause in the workplace
The INMO and the Menopause Hub are conducting a survey of nurses' and midwives' experiences of menopause in the workplace. The survey will be open until the 8th of October. The menopause at work affects many of our members, given the demanding nature of the work and our overwhelmingly female workforce.
We will have an online panel discussion on menopause in the workplace Wed October 13th at 2pm.
5. Media
We consistently aim to raise in the media the many issues members face. We appeared in multiple national and regional outlets every day in September, with over 140 mentions covering our ongoing compensation claim, hospital overcrowding, staff safety and the implementation of Slaintecare.