Proposed by Councillor McAteer,
Seconded by Councillor Groves,
“This Council supports the overwhelming result of the Royal College of Nurses’ ballot in favour of industrial action, supports the industrial action already being undertaken by UNISON and the decision of the other Health and Social Care (HSC) Trade Union, NIPSA, to ballot members on industrial action.
Health and social care workers are the system’s greatest assets and are entitled to fair pay and conditions, safe staffing levels and parity of pay with NHS colleagues.
Health and social care workers are taking action as they are no longer willing to see patients being denied the care to which they are entitled. There are currently over 7,000 non-medical vacancies, including 3,000 nursing posts, within the HSC system in the north of Ireland. These frontline vacancies are having a detrimental impact upon patient care and staffing, compromise the safety of staff and patients alike, contribute to long waiting lists and add enormous pressure to the existing HSC workforce, who are doing everything they can to care for patients.
This Council calls upon the Permanent Secretary, Department of Health, to engage respectfully and meaningfully with Trades Union representatives on a pay deal. It calls also upon the Permanent Secretary, alongside his colleagues in the Department of Finance and the Head of the Civil Service, to secure the funding that is needed to achieve pay parity for health workers.
Furthermore, the Council agrees to convene an all-Party meeting with those Trades Unions representing health and social care staff to hear directly the challenges which they are facing and to take such action thereon to support staff and patient care at this time.”
(To be debated by the Council)
Minutes:
In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor McAteer proposed:
“This Council supports the overwhelming result of the Royal College of Nurses’ ballot in favour of industrial action, supports the industrial action already being undertaken by UNISON and the decision of the other Health and Social Care (HSC) Trade Union, NIPSA, to ballot members on industrial action.
Health and social care workers are the system’s greatest assets and are entitled to fair pay and conditions, safe staffing levels and parity of pay with NHS colleagues.
Health and social care workers are taking action as they are no longer willing to see patients being denied the care to which they are entitled. There are currently over 7,000 non-medical vacancies, including 3,000 nursing posts, within the HSC system in the north of Ireland. These frontline vacancies are having a detrimental impact upon patient care and staffing, compromise the safety of staff and patients alike, contribute to long waiting lists and add enormous pressure to the existing HSC workforce, who are doing everything they can to care for patients.
This Council calls upon the Permanent Secretary, Department of Health, to engage respectfully and meaningfully with Trades Union representatives on a pay deal. It calls also upon the Permanent Secretary, alongside his colleagues in the Department of Finance and the Head of the Civil Service, to secure the funding that is needed to achieve pay parity for health workers.
Furthermore, the Council agrees to convene an all-Party meeting with those Trades Unions representing health and social care staff to hear directly the challenges which they are facing and to take such action thereon to support staff and patient care at this time.”
The motion was seconded by Councillor Groves.
Councillor Dorrian requested that the proposer agree to the addition of the following wording at the end of her motion:
“Furthermore, the Council calls for the restoration, at the earliest opportunity, of the Northern Ireland Executive to address matters such as this for the benefit of our community.”
The proposer declined the request.
Amendment
Moved by Councillor Dorrian,
Seconded by Councillor Brooks,
That the motion standing in the name of Councillor McAteer and seconded by Councillor Groves be amended to provide for the addition of the following wording at the end of the motion:
“Furthermore, the Council calls for the restoration, at the earliest opportunity, of the Northern Ireland Executive to address matters such as this for the benefit of our community.”
On a recorded vote nineteen Members voted for the amendment and thirty-one against and it was declared lost.
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For 19
The High Sheriff (Alderman Sandford); Aldermen Copeland, Haire, Kingston, McCoubrey and Rodgers; and Councillors Brooks, Bunting, Cobain, Dorrian, Flynn, Graham, Hussey, T. Kelly, Kyle, Newton, O’Hara, Pankhurst and Verner.
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Against 31
The Lord Mayor (Councillor Finucane); The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor McReynolds); and Councillors D. Baker, S. Baker, Beattie, Black, Canavan Carson, Matt Collins, Michael Collins, Corr, De Faoite, Donnelly, Ferguson, Garrett, Groves, Hanvey, Hargey, Heading, M. Kelly, Long, Lyons, Magee, Magennis, McAteer, McCusker, McDonough-Brown, McLaughlin, Murphy, Walsh and Whyte. |
The original motion, standing in the name of Councillor McAteer and seconded by Councillor Groves, was thereupon put to the meeting and passed.