Galway cardiac specialists warn of exodus to private sector after HSE ‘undermines’ Labour Court ruling
All but one member of a specialist University Hospital Galway’s heart surgery team left the operating room today in a protest over pay.
Four out of five perfusionists at University Hospital Galway (UHG), who are members of the Fórsa trade union, gathered outside the hospital today, June 9, in demonstration seeking a reinstatement of a pay link between perfusionists and medical scientists.
Perfusionists are highly specialised healthcare workers who monitor and control heart and lung function during heart surgery. There are only 25 in Ireland, with five based at Galway University Hospital.
Four perfusionists participated in industrial action.
Perfusionists and medical scientists have been linked for pay rises as far back as 1960, Michael Kerrigan, Assistant General Secretary with Fórsa Trade Union told the Irish Independent.
“Every time there was a pay increase, they received a pay increase, every time there was a pay cut, they got the pay cut. Up until 2024 when the HSE made a unilateral decision to stop that link. A pay rise was given to med lab scientists, and effectively a pay cut was given to perfusionists.”
The dispute was taken before the Labour Court where it recommended the pay scaling be reinstated with retrospective pay back dated to January 1, 2024.
However, Fórsa stated that the HSE has refused to implement that recommendation and has failed to further engage with the group since that refusal.
“The only correspondence we’ve gotten from the HSE since that decision was to say they won’t be paying it,” Mr Kerrigan said.
“We can’t accept a situation where one of the largest employers in the country is ignoring a recommendation of the Labour Court. It undermines the Labour Court, it undermines industrial relations across the country, both in the public and civil service and in the private sector, so it’s not something that we can accept.”
The lack of engagement after the Labour Court decision from the HSE has had a “huge effect” on the staff, Denise Gonoud, the Chief Clinical Perfusionist at in Galway University Hospital told the Irish Independent.
“None of us want to be out here. There’s huge frustration and it’s a bit demoralising to be put in this position.”
“We believe fair pay should be reinstated and we’re doing our best in a really difficult situation so hopefully this will be the last time we have to come out here,” Ms Gonoud said.
“We’re very privileged to work as part of the Cardiac Surgery team and we’re all aware of that. We have specialised training to get here, so for the HSE not to support us with this, it’s really difficult. We are faced with an exodus to the private sector because, believe it or not, the private hospitals have implemented the Labour Court recommendation.”
A HSE spokesperson told the Irish Independent that there is a commitment from the HSE to continue engaging with the union.
All elective cardiac procedures scheduled for today had been notified, rescheduled, or deferred other hospitals.
“Ultimately it’s a question for the HSE to answer,” Mr Kerrigan said, “Is it is it worth it to be undermining the Labour Court and undermining and disrespecting your own staff?”