Electricians at a Dublin hospital are staging a one-day stoppage today as a row over responsibility for fire alarms escalates.
Members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) are in dispute with management St James’s Hospital in a dispute over outsourcing.
Union leaders confirmed emergency cover will be provided during the industrial action, but warned the technical services department will be affected.
There have already been two half-day stoppages at the hospital as part of the current dispute. Talks were held between the parties at the Labour Relations Commission last week. However, no agreement was reached.
The TEEU said the dispute was over outsourcing and moves by management to reduce the role of electricians on site. It said outside contractors had been brought in without prior agreement and in breach of agreed procedures.
“The union is concerned about health and safety, as well as job security issues resulting from the contracting out of services,” said a TEEU spokesman. The first step was the handing over of fire alarms to outside contractors, he said.
Management at St James’s said they did not expect hospital services to be disrupted as the union had agreed to provide emergency cover to ensure patients will not be adversely affected.
Talks over the issue of fire alarms have been ongoing since November last year, a hospital spokesman said.
“The health and safety of patients, staff and visitors is a fundamental responsibility for the hospital. The change to work practice does not in any way compromise this responsibility,” the spokesman said.
“Security personnel have traditionally been part of the hospital fire response team and are now engaged in the re-setting of fire alarms for which they have been appropriately trained to the satisfaction of experts on fire services management.”