by Louise Doyle
CHRONIC underfunding and a pay disparity will see workers at the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) in Donegal take to the picket line in two weeks’ time.
The stark concerns around underfunding and the difficulties with recruitment and retention of staff came under the spotlight at a gathering of staff and service users in Letterkenny on Tuesday.
The service users, who are supporting staff in their action, told of how the IWA is their ‘lifeline’ and must be properly funded.
IWA offers in-house and assisted living supports to people with disabilities locally and around the country.
Workers feel that they have no choice but to strike because of a pay disparity affecting the recruitment and retention of staff, which is curtailing the delivery of services.
Notice of the strike action was issued last week following a ballot of health and community workers represented by Fórsa, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and Siptu.
“This has the potential to affect everyone, and it is currently affecting both service users and staff,” said service coordinator Mary McGrenra.
“We want to be open and honest about where the service is now and what is happening. For some time now IWA, along with other Section 39 organisations, have been struggling to get staff and to retain staff. If we are short of staff and we can’t recruit staff that affects the services that we are able to deliver, both in our centres and in the community.”
Ms McGrenra said at the core of the problem is a ‘significant difference’ in pay between IWA staff and those employed directly by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
“There is a current pay gap of €4.20 per hour between section 39 employees and HSE employees. The disparity is affecting the delivery of crucial services to people with disabilities locally and across the country. Added to this, IWA employees already endured two pay cuts in 2010 and 2013, under the directive of the HSE.”
She told of instances whereby buses used to transport service users to and from the centre have been “parked up” because there were no staff to drive the vehicles.
“Personally, I have found 2022 and 2023 two of the most challenging years of managing this service. Diesel has gone up, gas has gone up. We are not funded for transport. Any buses that we have are as a result of grant applications. Last week we had to take our 2011 transit off the road because when we did the sums to get it through the CVRT we decided that with the mileage on the bus we couldn’t afford to spend that money. This will further impact services.”
Ms McGrenra said full services have not been run since 2022.
She said services in Letterkenny are restricted, while service users from Gaoth Dobhair now have to travel to Letterkenny because of staffing issues.
She said the restrictions are also having an impact on the families of service users.
“We deserve better. We all have the right to choice, not charity, in our lives. Under the United Nations Convention, the government of Ireland has a legal obligation to support you, to make the funding available and they are not fulfilling their legal obligation. They need to value your rights,” Ms McGrenra told service users.
To date, conversations around pay parity have been unsuccessful.
“Prior to 2010, we had pay parity with the HSE, but between 2010 and 2013 the HSE on behalf of the government and the Department of Health insisted that we implement a 20 per cent pay cut. At the time that was in line with what was happening in the public sector and there was a lot of noise about good will and how it would be reviewed when the good times came.
“We have not received one penny extra in funding since 2008 to run our services. I am running the services in Donegal with the same pot of money that I had then.”
Ms McGrenra said IWA management and staff are working hard to minimise the impact on its service users by putting contingency measures in place, should strike action proceed if there is no progress within the next two weeks.
“Our chronic underfunding and our lack of pay parity is diminishing services. Our staff have the same qualifications as staff within the HSE, yet they are being paid up to 20 per cent less. This leads to staffing issues; either we can’t get staff or if we do we can’t retain them.”
What some service users said:
Sean said: “We need this service. It helps us to get out and it opens our mind. I depend on this service to come out of the house. Every time I come here it is a new beginning. Every day I come here is the best day of my life. It freshens my mind. We do bingo, yoga, cards and we get to talk to people. Most of us live on our own. We depend on this service.”
Linda said: “It’s terrible that a bus has had to be taken off the road. I feel that in the last while things have gone backwards.”
Phyllis said: “I am on my own now. I am glad to be able to come along here to get out (of the house).”
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