Ireland
Services union SIPTU has negotiated an agreement with the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore in central Ireland to hire 24 contract cleaners as direct Health Service Executive employees. The unions says that the commitment by management to bring these jobs in-house brings an end to private contractors operating within support grades in the hospital and provides security and decent jobs for workers.
Read more at > SIPTU
The SIPTU general union has prevented the outsourcing of cleaning at two hospitals following the threat of industrial action. The union had challenged the managements’ plans to privatise the cleaning without consultation. The Croke Park national agreement on public sector pay and restructuring requires consultation with trade unions over any planned outsourcing. The unions have proposed an alternative that involves extra hours of work for home helps. Read more at > SIPTU (EN)