Twelve days into industrial action by staff at Mater Dei Hospital and at Health Centres, another union directive went into effect yesterday. The additional directive was to staff at the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) at Mater Dei Hospital not to answer the telephone at their section.
In place for the last 12 days have been directives to CSSD staff not to provide services outside Mater Dei Hospital including other hospitals, private clinics or health centres.
The CSSD staff are not to hand over processed work unless collected by a Nursing Officer. Meanwhile staff at the Medical imaging Department at the same hospital have declined to do patient related work. Nursing Aides, Health Assistants, Care Workers and Assistant Care Workers who have not been granted Category A payment in Health Centres have declined to do patient related work including, patient registration and file distribution other than report and clinic files.
The industrial action was called by UHM in response to the failure by the Health Division and the Ministry of Social Policy to pay an allowance of €1,150 to Nursing Aides and Health Assistants in terms of agreements made with them.
The Union’s complaints with regard to CSSD staff includes the refusal by their employers to grant them Category A status and entitlement to staff meals along with other workers.
The union stated that it had made various attempts to reach a negotiated settlement of its members’ claims to no avail. It also gave notice of yesterday’s additional directive on Friday 7 August in view of the nature of work at the Health Division.
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