Health workers to be balloted on industrial action
Health service staff are expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action when trade union IMPACT ballots 15,000 of its members today at 10.30am.
Staff directly employed by health boards fear for their jobs and working conditions ahead of the implementation of the new Health Service Executive, which comes into effect on January 1.
Bernard Harbor of IMPACT says health services could be thrown into chaos next year, if there is a strike.
"All the staff in the health service are potentially effected by this, because the biggest reorganisation of the health services is supposed to take place in just a couple of weeks time," he said.
"There are fears that come January 1, unless there is clarity over these roles there could be real chaos over responsibility for things like budgets, IT, payroll and other core functions that the health board authorities are carrying out."
