CareDoc strike ends but further action unclear

Ottoline Spearman

CareDoc workers have ended their strike over a pay dispute.

On Thursday evening, the Health Minister and CareDoc announced the dispute had been resolved.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) confirmed on Friday morning that they had received a formal offer from CareDoc late on Thursday night.

They said that the strike was suspended at midnight following consultation with their members.

A spokeperson for INMO said: "We have sought a meeting with CareDoc management [on Friday] morning to discuss the offer in greater detail and seek clarification on certain points. We will then be in a position to ballot members on the proposal.”

Some 270 workers, represented by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and SIPTU, went on strike on Thursday in Carlow, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, and Tipperary.

Unions said that HSE has provided more than €600,000 to the company to fund an eight per cent increase, but staff claimed it had not been applied to their wages.

Strikes have also been threatened over Christmas if the pay dispute is still not resolved.

A spokesperson for INMO said that the union have not yet decided on planned strike days for the next two weeks.