Hundreds of residents in homes for people with intellectual disabilities face being sent home as an impending strike action was widened today.
The IMPACT union, representing more than 400 "houseparents" and assistant "houseparents" working in the homes, this morning served strike notice on more facilities as part of a pay and career structure dispute.
A meeting yesterday between representatives from the Health Service Employers' Agency (HSEA) and union officials failed to resolve the issues.
The strike is set to begin on January 21st and the union claims residents will be sent home from homes in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford, Wicklow and Athboy.
IMPACT claims carers in the sector are now paid between €133 and €172.6 per week less than staff performing identical work in children’s homes. The union maintains the two groups share common qualifications, pay and grading structures.
However, the HSEA claims the childcare deal was strictly for that sector and that carers for people with intellectual disabilities must be dealt with under the benchmarking process.
A HSEA spokesman asked IMPACT for a deferral of the planned action and to return to mediation next week.
The homes under strike notice now include:
- All Hospitaller Order of St John of God services in Dublin
- St Michael's House
- All Daughters of Charity services in Dublin
- Brothers of Charity Services in Galway
- Galway County Association for Mentally Handicapped Children
- Brothers of Charity Services in Cork, Waterford and the south east
- County Wicklow Association for the Mentally Handicapped
- Daughters of Charity, Lisnagry, Co Limerick
- Moyregan House autistic residential unit, Athboy
- St Raphael's Hospital, Youghal, Cork
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