Delay on WRC Wage Deal ‘Extremely Disappointing’, Say Service Delivery Bodies
A coalition* of Sector 39, 56 and 10 community and voluntary organisations, whose staff were awarded an 8% wage increase by the WRC on 17 October last, have expressed extreme disappointment that the government has not yet clarified the mechanism of how funds will be provided to allow payment of the award.
Immediate clarification is needed on when money will be provided by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, they say.
“The delay is further impacting the sustainability of services to tens of thousands of vulnerable families in areas such as physical and intellectual disability, care of children and older people, family services, addiction and homelessness,” they point out.
“The WRC agreement was meant to address a crisis of retention and recruitment in the sector, where staff receive between 10-20% less pay than their counterparts employed by HSE. If the WRC decision is not implemented immediately, a new public sector pay deal likely before the end of December will worsen pay disparity and make recruitment of medical, care and other staff virtually impossible.
”The WRC Agreement also contained a commitment to resume discussions ‘not later than December 1st’ last, to ‘agree further adjustments in funding for organisations and their staff.’
This process has also been delayed and further highlights the discriminatory nature of our two-tier health and care system,” the Coalition states.
The Coalition of community and voluntary organisations delivering essential health and public services on behalf of the state includes:
- Coalition of Túsla Funded Organisations
- Disability Federation of Ireland
- Dublin Homeless Network
- Family Resource Centres National Forum
- Mental Health Reform
- National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers
- National Voluntary Drug and Alcohol Sector
- Simon Communities of Ireland
- The Wheel