Drugs Service Staff Threaten Further Industrial Action

Staff at a Dublin-based drugs service are threatening to go on strike as part of a row over pay.

According to the union, a number of staff employed at locally based drug services in Clondalkin have taken the action because they are being paid significantly less than some of their co-workers, despite a recommendation for equal pay by the Labour Court in 2005.

The Health Service Executive (HSE), which is responsible for funding the posts, has "so far refused to implement the court's recommendation".

Workers have been engaged in a work to rule policy since August 5, and now more than 30 workers have voted in favour of industrial action following the three-year dispute with the HSE.

IMPACT, which represents the workers, originally took the case to the Labour Court in 2005. The court ruled that staff at Clondalkin Drugs Task Force and other local voluntary and community based drugs services, should get the same benchmarking increases as similar staff in the mainstream public service.

IMPACT official, Christine Cully said: "These workers provide a vital service to people with drug addiction and their families.

"But there is a real danger that services like these will collapse as voluntary and community organisations struggle to retain staff, if those staff cannot be employed on an equal footing."

(DW)