Over 1,000 Cork home support carers vote 'overwhelmingly' for strike action

More than 1,000 Cork SIPTU members working as Health Care Assistants (HCAs) in the HSE Home Support Service have voted overwhelmingly for strike action, with a Cork representative saying this will have an effect on hospital overcrowding.

HCA’s in Cork and Kerry as well as Donegal, Clare and Limerick, were balloted and voted by a 95% mandate for industrial action, up to and including strike action, in a dispute arising from their employer’s failure to honour national agreements on terms and conditions.

The issues which remain unresolved include underpayments dating back to 2018, and the non-implementation of rostering agreements. There are also ongoing breaches of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, resulting in worker burnout due to excessive split shifts and inadequate breaks.

Natasha Linehan Treacy, a Cork representative in the SIPTU Health Division told The Echo: “Our strike committee will meet shortly and serve a 21 days’ notice on the HSE, as is required for health settings.

“Unacceptable work conditions have gone on far too long, it’s nothing to do with pay, it’s about the terms and conditions, split shifts, inadequate breaks and rostering issues leading to burnout.”

She said an agreement was made in 2018, and a further one at the Workplace Commission in May of last year, “but in six months the HSE hasn’t even tried to implement it.” 

“We’re hoping that HSE South West (Cork and Kerry) will come to the table and negotiate it with us, because striking is the last thing our members want to do."

They serve such vulnerable people, and it will cause huge build up in the hospitals. People won’t be able to be discharged as there’s no step-down services."

It comes as Cork’s three hospitals were struggling with overcrowding this month, with 556 people having been treated on trolleys in Cork University Hospital, 174 in Mercy University Hospital and 73 in Bantry General Hospital in January

The Echo recently revealed that nearly 900 people in Cork are on a waiting list for home support, the longest home help waiting list in Ireland, due to retirements outstripping recruitment in the sector. 

In 2024, more than 160 home support staff in Cork and Kerry resigned or retired but there were only a little more than 100 new staff recruited.

Ms Linehan Treacy said: “Our members are out working in all weather conditions, going down lanes and up boreens and ditches and even checking in on some clients during red weather warnings. They’re very dedicated and they don’t want to do this, but they can’t keep going like this. We need to be able to retain staff and recruit new people into the service.” 

The Echo contacted the HSE for comment.