Tipperary service reopens as pay dispute between Caredoc and HSE is resolved

A pay dispute between Caredoc and the HSE was resolved on Thursday evening following mediation.

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill confirmed that the dispute had been resolved in a statement issued on Thursday night.

Pickets were placed at The County Clinic in Clonmel on Thursday and other Caredoc centres in the south east in a 24-hour strike and further industrial action was planned over the Christmas period.

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In a statement issued on Thursday night Caredoc said it had secured sufficient HSE funding to meet the demands of INMO and SIPTU unions and to end the current strike action.

“Payment will be processed immediately to all staff, once funds are discharged by the HSE.The increase in funding has been agreed to sustain Caredoc services going forward. We have requested the INMO and SIPTU unions to seek an immediate return to work tonight, in the interests of patient safety," concluded the Caredoc statement.

A spokesperson from the INMO issued the following statement on Friday morning: "The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation received a formal offer from CareDoc seeking to resolve matters at the centre of the dispute late last night. 

“Following consultation with our members, a decision was made to suspend strike action at midnight. No decision has been made on planned strike days for the next two weeks. 

“We have sought a meeting with CareDoc management this morning (Friday) to discuss the offer in greater detail and seek clarification on certain points. We will then be in a position to ballot members on the proposal.”

The unions at the centre of this dispute, the INMO and SIPTU, were seeking the implementation of the 2023 WRC pay agreement for Section 39 organisations, specifically the 8% increase due to members working in CareDoc.

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The HSE has already provided €647,834 to Caredoc for the purpose of paying this increase to staff. The unions were seeking for this to be applied without delay.