The GSD have issued a statement regarding the GHA industrial grades employee strikes which commenced this morning. The Opposition says it “hopes that lessons can be learnt from this situation to ensure that future industrial claims are tackled within  a reasonable timeframe” and “that the issues raised within the claim are dealt with swiftly to the satisfaction of all  parties, and for the benefit of service users”. 

A statement from the GSD follows below:

The Government’s “regret” over a planned week-long strike by GHA industrial grades over pay and conditions  regarding the union’s industrial grades members smacks of being fake sentiment. The claim was submitted  in December 2023, and it has taken 10 months for the GHA to enter into any significant discussions, and even  then, prompted only by the threat of imminent industrial action.  

Shadow for Health, Joelle Ladislaus said: “By admission of the GHA’s Director General himself, in a statement issued  yesterday afternoon, the concerns raised “have been long-standing for years”. It beggars belief that it should take this  long to address this. Employees of the GHA are frontline workers whose health, safety and wellbeing should be a  priority, as should ensuring that there is no disruption to service users. In this instance, a failure to engage with  employees in a timely manner, and to treat them with due consideration and respect, has resulted in potentially  avoidable industrial action. Whereas the indication that numerous issues have been resolved is welcome, the fact that  it has been possible within a short time span of a few weeks demonstrates that full resolution could have come about  if this claim had been addressed sooner.” 

The GSD hopes that lessons can be learnt from this situation to ensure that future industrial claims are tackled within  a reasonable timeframe and that the issues raised within the claim are dealt with swiftly to the satisfaction of all  parties, and for the benefit of service users.