Crunch talks held on HSE West deficit
With HSE West already facing a budget deficit in the region of w90m, Unions and HSE management met yesterday for crunch talks aimed at saving as many jobs as possible.
At the conciliation conference on August 13, both sides agreed to engage in two weeks of negotiations to help address the financial deficit. The HSE had indicated it wished to axe 300 whole time equivalents unless other savings were found.
The talks framework stipulated that:
• Opportunities for non pay related savings to be further jointly explored.
• All options will be considered to reduce expenditure, for example reduced hours, career breaks, unpaid leave, use of overtime only as a last resort and flexibility in the reallocation of staff and
• Expenditure on agency staff to be phased out where possible and the savings used to retain staff.
All parties met in Dublin yesterday to try to reach agreement. Although the outcome of the talks was not known prior to going to press it is clear that the people of the region are fearful frontline services will be targeted.
Demonstrations have taken place locally with fears over further bed closures and downgrading of services in Sligo General, Our Lady's Manorhamilton and Roscommon County Hospital.
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 6 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
