Caredoc Christmas strikes averted as services resume normal operations
Caredoc workers pictured on strike at their headquarters in Carlow. Pic: © Michael O’Rourke Photography
THREATENED industrial action at Caredoc over the Christmas period has been averted, the out-of-hours GP service confirmed yesterday evening.
All Caredoc services and centres in the southeast, south Wicklow and the northwest are now open and operating normally following a 24-hour work stoppage earlier this week.
In a statement issued on Friday evening, Caredoc confirmed that planned strike action scheduled for the festive period will not proceed and all out-of-hours services will operate fully as planned throughout Christmas and New Year.
The development follows a 24-hour work stoppage that closed Caredoc’s treatment centres across Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and South Wicklow from 6pm Thursday until 9am Friday morning.
Around 270 workers, including 150 INMO nurses and 120 SIPTU members working as drivers, call takers and receptionists, had withdrawn their labour in the first of what were to be several planned strikes over an unpaid 8% pay increase.
The unions were seeking implementation of a pay increase due under an October 2023 Workplace Relations Commission agreement for Section 39 organisations. Workers claimed that while the HSE had provided €647,834 to Caredoc to fund the increase, the money had not been applied to their salaries.ââââââââââââââââ
Further stoppages had been scheduled for Tuesday 23 December, Saturday 27 December, Monday 29 December, Tuesday 30 December and Friday 2 January. Both the INMO and SIPTU have agreed to defer further strike action until they have reviewed yesterday’s updated offer from Caredoc.
