Unions affiliated to the 24/7 Frontline Services Alliance will be undertaking a wide ranging series of activities on November 24th in opposition to further cutbacks in pay and services by the Government. The unions involved are the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, the Garda Representative Association, the Irish Nurses Organisation, the Prison Officers Association, the Psychiatric Nurses Association and SIPTU.
AGSI and GRA
The Garda representative bodies are precluded from taking industrial action but have urged members to express their solidarity with other public service workers in a number of ways.
AGSI is advising members that Sergeants and Inspectors should only carry out functions assigned to them under the Garda Code. It also advises them not to volunteer for duties in prisons or other unfamiliar environments where no training or risk assessments have been undertaken, as required under health and safety legislation. Nor should members undertake tasks normally carried out by civilian public servants who will be on strike.
GRA members are expected to enforce summary legislation only on November 24th and take cognisance of the fact that they are not obliged to carry out a number of other functions, including issuing fixed penalty notices. Both Garda representative bodies are advising members not to use personal equipment such as laptops and mobile phones for official purposes for 24 hours from 6 am on November 24th.
They also urge members off duty to show their support for those on strike, including civilian staff employed by the Garda Síochána, by expressing solidarity with them.
INO
Irish Nurses Organisation members will be participating in the day of action from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009. In Acute Hospitals members will be withdrawn completely from elective/day services including:
- Outpatient departments;
- Day hospital wards/units/departments; and
- Administration and education.
- In the case of Inpatient Wards/Units/Departments local strike committees will roster a minimum of two nurses to each inpatient ward/unit/A&E department, to ensure that essential care is available. In the case of operating theatres the normal on-call arrangements will apply.
- Community Nursing Services:
- INO members will be on strike in community nursing services and local strike committees will provide an essential call service only.
Excluded Areas/Services:
- Sectors/areas excluded from the strike by the INO, based upon patient/client need, include:
- Care of the elderly hospitals/homes/day centres;
- Intellectual disability services;
- Palliative care services;
- Delivery wards/units in maternity hospitals/departments; and Intensive care units in acute/maternity hospitals
- The range of intensive care facilities excluded, subject to them having patients on the day, will be finalised by the local strike committees.
Lunchtime protests may be organised by the INO, for a two hour duration, in the care of the elderly and intellectual disability workplaces to show members support for the overall day of action.
Prison Officers Association
Prison Officers’ Association is planning a full withdrawal of services by its members in the following areas on Tuesday, November 24th:
- The Prison Service Escort Corps
- The Headquarters Units in Dublin and Longford
- The Building Services Section
- The Training and Development Unit in Portlaoise
- The Operation Support Goup in Arbour Hill
- The Prison Welfare Service.
POA members will also be mounting a full stoppage in all of the state’s prisons for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon at times still to be decided. The Deputy General Secretary, Eugene Dennehy, said that his members, “Regret taking this action but it is necessary in order to send a clear message to the Government of how determined they are to oppose any further reductions in pay or services. It also comes with a warning that further action on a larger scale will follow if necessary .”
PNA
Strike action by the Psychiatric Nurses’ Association will take place from 9am to 5pm on November 24th.
Half of the staff will strike from 9am to 12 noon, returning between 12 and 2pm to feed patients. Remaining staff will strike 2pm to 5pm. PNA General Secretary Des Kavanagh said that the limited action was “because of extreme staff shortages. Due to the embargo on recruitment serious difficulties may arise as no staff will be working overtime because of the strike. Some wards may not even have enough staff to maintain minimum services.”
SIPTU
SIPTU ambulance service personnel and hospital support service staff will be providing emergency cover only from 7am until 7pm on November 24th. In the case of general nurses the union will be taking similar action to the INO and will be on strike from 8am to 8pm. Cover will be provided on the same basis as the INO. In the areas of intellectual disability and care of the elderly arrangements will be made at local level to determine the level of cover to be provided. Whatever level of action is decided there will be steps taken to ensure emergency cover is maintained. SIPTU Fire Fighters will strike from 00.01 on November 24th until 23.59. Members will not carry out duties normally carried out by other personnel on strike such as National Ambulance Service staff. Emergency cover will be provided.
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