Strike action threatened in one of Ireland's largest GP out-of-hours service

Sarah Slater

Strike action is to start next month in a pay dispute relating to an out-of-hours medical service in the south-east.

Caredoc staff based in Carlow town are escalating an industrial dispute over an unpaid 8 per cent wage increase agreed under a national Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) process in 2023.

There is a danger that if a resolution has not been reached soon and the dispute moves to strike action, out-of-hours access to GPs will be heavily impacted during the Christmas period. If a strike does go ahead, there will be no 24-7 care.

The south east, east and Sligo areas will be impacted by the move. The service is a vital out-of-hours service for Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Wexford, Wicklow, Waterford and Sligo.

Any disruption to the service over the Christmas period threatens to place enormous pressure on GP services, emergency departments and the wider public.

“Unfortunately, our colleagues have been left with no alternative but to move towards strike action in order to resolve this long-running dispute and secure the pay they are owed,” said Ger McNally of SIPTU.

Mr McNally added that the dispute is not with the HSE, it is with Caredoc as they are the employer.

The industrial action will start on December 18th.