FAQs – Industrial action in the HSE and Section 38 Voluntary Hospitals

All Fórsa members, regardless of grade, working in the HSE and Section 38 voluntary hospitals.

The INMO, Connect, Unite, and the MLSA have also served notice of industrial action. Over 70,000 workers are in dispute with the HSE and are coming together to protect service provision.

On Monday 31st March 2025, as of members’ normal starting time.

The industrial action takes the form of a work to rule. A ballot of members has sanctioned industrial action, up to and including strike action. Find out more here.

Union members are legally protected when engaging in industrial action. Should management instruct any Fórsa member to carry out any of the tasks prohibited under this instruction members should be advised to respond:

“As a Fórsa member, I am participating in a trade dispute in response to the HSE Pay and Numbers Strategy and following the instruction set out by the Health and Welfare Divisional Executive Committee of my Union. Derogation requests should be submitted nationally for consideration.”

Only union members are protected during the dispute. You should join the union. The fastest way to join is online.

If a resolution to the dispute is not found during the work-to-rule, an escalation of industrial action will be considered. This will be considered on a weekly basis by the Divisional Executive Committee.

When and what type of action will be decided by the Dispute Committee of the Health and Welfare Divisional Executive Committee. This committee is made up of the elected representatives of union members.

We recognise that up to now members have been providing covering to ensure services continue. As of the 31st March 2025 members are instructed not to cover these positions for example – do not cover clinic services if the post holder is on maternity leave and not replaced, do not cover additional ward duties if ward clerks have not been replaced, do not take on an increased caseload where there has been a reduction in staff as management have failed to replace a colleague. This list is not exhaustive and members can address queries locally to their branch.

Yes, provided you are working your contracted hours only. Members are asked not to do overtime/ accrue TOIL for the duration of this dispute.

If you are in a meeting where there are new people present, you should ask them if they work for the HSE or for another company. There are multiple private for-profit consultancy firms being contracted by the HSE at present. They include PWC Ireland, Ernst and Young, Forviz Mazars, KPMG, Deloitte. There may also be others not listed here. Members should be extremely vigilant in relation to this instruction.

You should not provide on call support unless there is an explicit contractual arrangement and / or collective agreement to provide on call should do so. For clarity, any hours worked on call must be recognised by the employer and individuals must receive either a set allowance and TOIL in return.

Members should only work their contract hours and discontinue covering up the crack of an under resourced service. You should take your allocated breaks and full lunch breaks – no more cutting short your breaks to ensure a service is maintained.

Members should not work outside their standard working week – this means no longer answering emails or calls on your work mobile outside of working hours (unless in an emergency).

Members should refuse to do so and inform your local dispute committee of the request. You should also state:

“As a Fórsa member, I am participating in a trade dispute in response to the HSE Pay and Numbers Strategy and following the instruction set out by the Health and Welfare Divisional Executive Committee of my Union. Derogation requests should be submitted nationally for consideration.”

As part of any dispute Fórsa and the HSE meet to discuss contingency planning (how minimal services will operate during the dispute). This is provided for under the Dispute Resolution Framework. Fórsa, along with the INMO, met with the HSE on Tuesday 11th March for the first such meeting. Despite requests from the Unions to meet again on Friday 14th March, the HSE advised they were not in a position to re-convene until Wednesday 19th March. No contingency plans were presented

Derogations (exemptions from the Industrial Action) will be dealt with nationally. HSE Management must submit derogation requests for consideration by the Fórsa Dispute Committee. Not all derogations are granted. An up-to-date list will be shared in real time with Fórsa branches. Where members are being told a derogation has been granted, they should check this with their local Branch Executive Committee member in the first instance.

Working with the INMO we have set up Joint Organising Committees for all six health regions. These committees bring together representatives from both unions to coordinate activity before and during the dispute. The management of the dispute will remain with each individual union.

We must have workforce planning for the health service that puts the right resources in the right places. We need more directly employed staff, rather than increased spending on agencies and private consultants.

You should contact your local branch. If you are unsure of who to contact please contact your closest Fórsa office:

• Cork 021 4255 210 forsacork@forsa.ie
• Limerick 061 319 177 forsalimerick@forsa.ie
• Galway 091 778 031 healthwest@forsa.ie
• Sligo 071 914 2400 healthnorthwest@forsa.ie
• Dublin Head Office: 01 8171500 healthandwelfareinfo@forsa.ie