Caredoc staff to stage Carlow protest as pay dispute escalates 

CAREDOC staff are set to hold a lunchtime protest in Carlow tomorrow (Wednesday) as part of an escalating industrial dispute over an unpaid 8% wage increase agreed under a national Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) process in 2023.

There’s a danger that if a resolution hasn’t been reached soon and the dispute moves to strike action that out-of-hours access to GPs will be heavily impacted in the midst of the festive season. The whole of the south east region will be impacted by the move.

The protest, organised jointly by SIPTU and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), will begin at 12 noon with members gathering at the Seven Oaks Hotel before marching to Caredoc’s head office at St Dympna’s Hospital.

Staff have been told they can only attend while off duty.

The unions say the demonstration marks a new phase in what has become a nearly three-year standoff between employees and management. Caredoc employs around 350 staff across Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, south Tipperary and Sligo, making it one of the country’s largest out-of-hours GP providers.

The service was founded in Carlow in 2001 and was among Ireland’s first of its kind.

Speaking to The Nationalist, SIPTU organiser Ger McNally said staff are “still waiting” for the 8% uplift despite the union’s understanding that funding was provided to Caredoc several months ago.

“There was a WRC agreement… which enabled an 8% uplift for our members,” he said. “We are of the understanding that the funding was made available to Caredoc… and they still haven’t paid it out to our members.” Mr McNally said Caredoc has cited a separate legal dispute with the HSE over Section 39 status but insisted that this “is not our concern”.

“Our dispute is not with the HSE, it is with Caredoc and they are the employer,” he explained. “SIPTU has asked numerous times for meetings… but they’re not engaging with us on it;ey’ve never come back with any reason.” He added that the last meaningful engagement from management was earlier this year.

He continued: “They haven’t been willing to meet or engage since March.” Mr McNally said the protest is intended to send a clear message to management and the public.

“It’ll make the management know that we’re serious about our pursuit of our claim. It will highlight to the public what’s going on, because the public wouldn’t be aware of what’s happening here, I imagine.” He also warned that if strike action proceeds in December it could severely impact the service.

“If we’re striking, there won’t be access to 24-7 care,” he said. “Our A&Es are already flooded and overrun, but that’s where people would end up having to go.” Staff have been grappling with rising living costs, says Mr McNally, while their pay has remained unchanged.

“There is a cost-of-living crisis… our bills are getting higher, our food bills, our ESB bills, everything’s getting higher, but our Caredoc members’ wages aren’t going up,” he added. “We have to try and protect our members.” Caredoc was contacted for comment and the official response was: “As this matter is the subject of impending legal mediation, it would be inappropriate to make any comment at this time.”