Striking ‘is not in our nature’
A Cork medical scientist has described the fear felt by her and her colleagues as they prepared to go on strike yesterday.
Speaking to the Cork Independent just minutes before joining the picket line on Wednesday, Ballyvourney native Mairead Moynihan said staff had no other choice but to take industrial action after fighting for fair pay for more than two decades.
She said: “We are very apprehensive about what we are doing today. This is very new territory for us. We're worried the public won’t support us. We're worried the Government will leave us out there. This is not where we want to be at all.”
Ms Moynihan, who works at University Hospital Kerry, said she and her colleagues have been pushed into what is the first time in 50 years her profession has served a strike notice in Ireland.
“It is not in our nature. We are not a vocal, militant type of group. We are begging the public to please contact and put pressure on the Government to just get this sorted. This is our last ditch effort.”
In a statement this week, the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA), the union representing medical scientists in Ireland, said it has made every effort to avoid disruption to patients and fellow healthcare workers, but has been left with no alternative.
Yesterday’s action, which took place from 8am-8pm outside hospitals across the country, followed repeated unsuccessful talks with HSE, the Department of Health, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Public Service Agreement Group.
In a ballot of MLSA members taken last November, 98 per cent voted in favour of taking the action.
If yesterday’s action does not result in any progress with the HSE, a further two days of action are planned for 24 and 25 May. Three further days of action are planned for 31 May, 1 and 2 June.
Speaking ahead of yesterday’s strike, MLSA Chairperson Kevin O’Boyle said there is huge frustration and burn-out among medical scientists because of a severe recruitment and retention problems which have been ignored for many years.
“Up to 20 per cent of approved medical scientist posts are unfilled in hospitals. Medical scientists carry out identical work to other colleagues in hospital laboratories yet are paid on average eight per cent less. They have fewer career development opportunities and less support for training and education than comparable colleagues,” said Mr O’Boyle.
He added: “We need to achieve a sustainable work structure for the profession, and this will benefit patients and the quality and efficiency of health services they receive.”
Cork Socialist Party TD Mick Barry criticised Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath for “sleepwalking the country into a serious hospital strike”.