Care crisis: Tusla warns that strike cannot disrupt services as carers campaign for pay parity
The October 17 strike is part of a long campaign to restore pay parity between the community/voluntary sector and staff in the HSE and Tusla who do the same work for the State. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins
The family resource centre (FRC) network, which provides services for 30,000 people, is one of 18 agencies planning a day of action on October 17 in protest at unequal pay and conditions.
The agencies are all contracted by the State to provide services for people affected by disabilities or social disadvantage — but the pay rates of their staff have not been restored in line with those in the HSE and Tusla.
This article is part of the Care crisis series about the funding of voluntary and community care organisations published online here from Sunday, October 8 and in the 'Irish Examiner' from October 9
Tusla wrote to the 121 family resource centres pointing out they are contracted to provide “essential services” to children, young people and families.
“We would need reassurances that no child or young person will be harmed or experience hardships throughout as a result of any strike action.”
One centre manager told the she thought the letter was like 'a bad joke'. She said:
Services in the centre are expected to be hit on the day of action as thousands of workers join the protest.
Mid West region FRC chairwoman Mary McGrath said closing their doors for the day goes against everything the staff in centres stand for.
“The very fact we are considering the cessation of operations is testament to the level of crisis we are facing in the sector,” she said.
“To ensure safe, high-quality, regulated services are provided to communities we need to be able to employ suitably qualified workers and be able to match their qualifications and skills with appropriate remuneration packages. Workers are underpaid, have substandard working terms and conditions and instability.”
Meanwhile, people with disabilities in Cork who face losing assistants, transport, and daycare access if the strike goes ahead say they are baffled by the lack of support for the staff.
Service user Paul MacGuinness, 34, said the situation for those employed at the Irish Wheelchair Association centre in Mahon is “desperately unfair”.
Christine Dinneen, 65, who gets help from two personal assistants as well as attending the centre, echoed his sentiments:
"It’s a disgrace they can’t get equal pay, and I think it’s about time the Government did something about it."
Staff at the centre in Mahon said they find the prospect of strike action distressing but say that the gap between their pay and that of HSE staff doing the same work can no longer be accepted.
Irish Wheelchair Association area manager Martin McCarthy said they support more than 40,000 people nationally. He added:
“The last thing we want is for someone who totally depends on the Irish Wheelchair Association to end up having no home visit, no-one to call to them.”
