HOPES of settling the strike by 3,000 paramedics have risen following an agreement by management and the IMPACT union to refer the dispute to the Labour Court. The court is expected to hear the case early next week.
But IMPACT has refused to halt industrial action, which has so far led to the cancellation of many specialist outpatient services, disrupted community care programmes and threatened residential services for children at risk and people with disabilities.
The union is also pressing ahead with plans to ballot another 10,000 members in the health services for action in support of the paramedics. If they vote for action, strike notice would be served for May 13th, the same day radiographers and laboratory technicians in SIPTU are expected to join the strike.
It is understood Ministers have been privately lobbying the union to end the strike ahead of settlement talks. But IMPACT leaders have made it clear action will not be ended before members can consider the Labour Court recommendation.
The decision to refer the dispute to the court followed four hours of talks with the chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission, Mr Kieran Mulvey, yesterday.
The IMPACT general secretary, Mr Peter McLoone, said the court provided the most immediate prospect of a solution.
The Labour Court resolved the nurses' dispute by awarding them a pay increase worth more than double that conceded to other public service workers. It did so on the basis of the uniqueness of the nurses' case.