Labour Court rejects union claim to cut HSE staff hours, citing €144m annual cost

The Labour Court did not recommend conceding the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union’s claim to reduce working hours for about 28,000 HSE staff from 39 to 35 hours a week. The recommendation was signed on 19 May 2008. The union said the grades’ hours had not been reduced in more than 20 years and that support staff should have the same hours as nurses. The HSE said the claim would increase costs and was barred under the Towards 2016 agreement. The Court agreed the claim was cost-increasing and debarred by the agreement; the HSE estimated it would cost about €144 million a year.