Mr Sean McGrath
Dear Mr McGrath
I see that you have once again written to staff – this time in an attempt to convince them of your own analysis of the talks breakdown and the implications.
We do not share your view. The trade unions responded to the Government's declared vision of a smaller public service. In return for guarantees on job security, pay and pensions we explored with you and the other employer representatives the possibility of a radical approach that would have transformed services and would have saved billions.
Last Friday the Government walked away from this opportunity. The notion that you or the HSE – the board of which is comprised of appointees of this same Government – would expect that agreement might now be possible on one part of the discussions while pay cuts proceed and threats to jobs and pensions remain is naive to put it at its most kind.
You refer to the trade unions as if they are external to the health service itself. In fact the trade unions are the overwhelming majority of the staff at all levels and in all categories – staff who with other public servants have already contributed €1.4 billion euro this year alone (€2.3b in 2010) through a pay freeze, pension levy and recruitment ban; staff who were prepared to make a further contribution on the basis that they received fair play from Government; staff who day in, day out work to deliver services, as they have done in most cases for a long time prior to your own arrival in the health service last year, in the teeth of arbitrary embargos and other diktats.
The leadership of the health unions have never been more united in our determination to represent the anger of members at their treatment by Government. That unity will also be evident in the response of members in coming days to achieve an agreed resolution to the issues of jobs, pay and pensions. You or the Government appointed HSE will not escape that reality.
Yours sincerely
Kevin Callinan
National Secretary
Health & Welfare Division
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