‘Forgotten’ frontline workers demand pandemic recognition payment

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Contract cleaning and security workers are demanding receipt of a pandemic recognition payment of 1,000 euro which was announced for eligible frontline health and ambulance workers.

SIPTU members working in contract cleaning and security across Ireland held protests outside hospitals in Limerick, Dublin, and Galway to mark International Day of Justice for Cleaners and Security Guards.

Contract cleaner and SIPTU shop steward Lorraine Clinch from Dublin said: “We were promised this over a year-and-a-half ago, and we are still fighting to get it.

Now: Our #ForgottenFrontlineHeroes outside Beaumont Hospital demanding Taoiseach @LeoVaradkar makes sure hospital cleaners are paid their €1000 pandemic recognition payment.

Over a year and still left waiting!

Unacceptable!#BuildingJustice #IJD2023 #SummerofSolidarity ☀️ pic.twitter.com/BLvJCMuyo4

— SIPTU (@SIPTU) June 15, 2023

“We are the forgotten workers on the front line. We never missed a day during the pandemic and made sure that hospitals kept running.

“It is just not fair that some people get it and others don’t. We were all in the same boat during the pandemic.

“We were the ones that came into work every day with no PPE or vaccinations, and we kept the hospitals going. We want what we are owed.”

Security worker and SIPTU member in Galway Pat Monahan said: “After 18 months, we are still waiting for our 1,000 euro, while all my colleagues around me received theirs.

“It is so frustrating. As essential frontline health workers, we put our lives at risk during the pandemic, and to still not have received this recognition is beyond insulting.”

SIPTU services divisional organiser Teresa Hannick said: “We are calling on Leo Varadkar to look after his fellow healthcare workers that he championed all through the pandemic.

“These workers need this payment by any means necessary. It’s not rocket science.”

The demands were supported by Labour Party workers’ rights spokeswoman Marie Sherlock.

She said it was shameful that many cleaners, catering, security and other staff in public hospitals had yet to receive their pandemic bonus payment.

“The utter disregard of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party towards low-paid workers is outrageous,” she said.

“It took 11 months after the pandemic payment was first announced in January 2022 to confirm that these workers would get the payment.

“Since last November, these workers have been waiting and have got nothing.”

She said the delay was a “massive failure of leadership and shows utter disrespect” towards low-paid workers.