Trade unions Forsa and INMO have served notice for industrial action in the public health system. The dispute stems from chronic understaffing, worsened by a Government-imposed hiring freeze that has left critical healthcare positions unfilled. The Health Service Executive (HSE) and publicly funded Section 38 hospitals have faced escalating recruitment restrictions since 2023. What began as a limited hiring pause expanded into a full freeze, preventing the replacement of vacant posts. Despite repeated union demands, the HSE has refused to disclose the number of jobs lost. The action will involve workers strictly following their contracts, refusing overtime, additional tasks, and covering for unfilled positions. Fórsa members will also reject cooperation with external consultants and digital projects. INMO members will work only within their contracted hours, limit administrative duties, and reject redeployment.
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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.