THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has proposed cutting overtime rates, deferring incremental payments and making staff work longer hours as part of radical measures aimed at generating €300 million in savings.
The proposals suggest that rather than being paid at double time or time and a half, overtime rates would be reduced to a flat rate. The document suggests this could save €25 million.
The document sets out that if nurses were asked to work an additional 2.5 hours per week it would provide an additional 6.6 per cent capacity across the health system.
It also states that increasing the working week for management and administrative grades would add 12.5 per cent to capacity.
The document also proposes that staff could be offered unpaid leave. It also maintains that the possibility of reducing uncertified sick leave from seven days to two days per year should be explored.
The document suggests that the HSE could consider selling income streams arising from car parks and shops in its facilities.
The controversial proposals set out in the document would have very significant implications for the Croke Park agreement, which guarantees no further pay cuts in return for co-operation with reform.
Senior HSE sources said last night that any proposals dealing with terms and conditions for staff would have to be considered on a national basis across the public service in discussion with the trade union movement.
Aspects of the same proposal document, which emerged yesterday, suggested that the HSE is considering the suspension of the issuing of new medical cards and severe cutbacks in home help hours and personal assistant hours as part of measures aimed at making savings of €57.5 million.
Asked about the HSE proposals to suspend the issuing of medical cards, to reduce the hours for home helps and personal assistants and to cut overtime rates, Minister for Health James Reilly said he would not sanction any of these measures. “I think this was described as a draft proposal. I would describe it as a daft proposal. So I have no notion of going near any of those things.”
Siptu health division organiser Paul Bell said last night: “Any further attempt by the HSE to dilute the conditions and pay of our members will be met head on in a very robust manner”.
The HSE document says that the proposals represent “a range of additional measures which may be considered as part of the HSE’s overall approach to achieving a break even position in 2011”.
A spokeswoman for the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said: “There have been no discussions on these issues with the unions so we have no comment to make except that these measures would be in breach of the Croke Park agreement”.
The HSE yesterday stated: “The measures referred to are a range of suggested policy proposals put forward for consideration by the Department of Health in the context of current financial pressures facing the health services. It is important to note that these are merely proposals.”
