Sunbeam strike is called off after talks

PLANNED INDUSTRIAL ACTION CALLED OFF AS AGREEMENT IS REACHED

PLANNED industrial action by Sunbeam House Services staff around the county has been suspended after an agreement was reached with management with regard to pay restoration.

The action had been scheduled to commence tomorrow, Thursday, but was suspended on Saturday following days of intense negotiations.

Fórsa, the union which represents the majority of Sunbeam House Services staff said that the action had initially been backed by 93 per cent of members.

The union said management has agreed to a process that will identify staff who have lost income since emergency pay measures were introduced in 2009, before submitting a business case for pay restoration to its main funder, the HSE, which has agreed to seek additional funding.

Under the agreement that led the union to lift its action, the business case will be assessed by the end of June.

Acting CEO of Sunbeam House Services Hugh Kane confirmed that the negotiations had taken place and said that the service provider ‘ has no issue’ with the fact that staff are seeking pay restoration.

‘A process will now be put in place for this to be addressed,’ he said.

Mr Kane said that this process is likely to ‘ take a while’ but outlined that the matter will be resolved.

Fórsa official Ryan McKinney said the union has now received a written commitment from the HSE, which was progress because previous attempts to involve the HSE had been unsuccessful.

‘ The process we won during talks over the weekend represent a significant step forward, which should lead to the start of pay restoration by early 2019 at the latest. As a result, the union has confirmed its intention to postpone the planned strike pending the evaluation process scheduled to end by June 30. If there’s any slippage in this timescale, the union will use the overwhelmingly support shown by members in the ballot to recommence preparations for strike action,’ he said.

The union said Sunbeam House management always accepted that pay restoration was due, and had carried the liability in its accounts since incomes were cut in 2009. But the HSE, which is Sunbeam’s primary funder, had previously refused to get involved.

The union represents a range of Sunbeam House Services throughout County Wicklow staff including social care workers, care assistants, training instructors, support workers, bus escorts, community workers, social care managers and administrative staff.