The staff at Northside Home Care Services are back in work today after being on strike last week and they have not ruled out further action. These workers provide supports to some of the most vulnerable in our community. Some of the staff I met on the picket line in Coolock have been doing this job for over 25 years and they were not included in the pay deal for section 39 workers because they were reclassified. Instead of management and the HSE engaging with the union, the HSE threatened their jobs. It warned that it would organise replacement labour from private companies. Now we have the prospect of more industrial action throughout this sector. My question is: when are the workers who do the same work on behalf of the HSE going to receive the same pay for that work? Will the HSE engage with their unions as a matter of urgency?

Sentiment score: 0.06