After twenty-two hours of engagement in the Workplace Relations Commission, the INMO, along with Fórsa, Unite, Connect, and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association, have arrived at proposals to recruit and retain staff into the public health service.
Your Executive Council have taken the decision to suspend the work-to-rule that was due to begin on Monday 31st March to allow a ballot of members to take place on the proposals. We will now be organising workplace meetings to give you more information.
The proposals seek to develop and improve recruitment processes and workforce planning.
Some of the proposals include:
- The HSE are committed to replacing all current posts which became vacant through retirement, resignation, transfer, or other means, within its WTE and affordability limit. The HSE are also committed to streamlining the approval process.
- Those on career breaks may return based on the provisions of the scheme which were in effect when the career break was approved for the individual.
- The HSE have agreed to expand the current agency conversion programme.
- A process will be put in place around accelerating the backfilling of vacant posts and speeding up the approval process
- The HSE is committed to expediting the backfill of approval for replacement for maternity leave. Direct employment and/or agency, including temporary use of other vacancies, will be prioritised for maternity leave cover. The principle is that every effort will be made to ensure the work of a staff member on maternity leave is not left unfilled where an option exists within the ceiling and limits.
- The HSE will offer a permanent job to each graduate in 2025.
- The HSE acknowledges the challenges for resourcing of community nursing and will engage with relevant trade unions by end April 2025 on bespoke resourcing plans.
- The HSE is committed to the establishment of a number of Diversity, Equity and lnclusion posts to support staff across all grades; two of these posts will be filled in 2025 at national level who will design the actions and measures for implementation. Further posts for each region are to be progressed in 2026
Your INMO Official will be in contact with you over the coming days but I want to confirm that the work-to-rule that was due to begin tomorrow is no longer going ahead to allow members an opportunity to consider the proposals and cast a vote.
Thank you for sticking with us over the weekend. We will be in touch again soon regarding meetings and a ballot.
Is mise,
Phil Ní Sheaghdha
INMO General Secretary