Irish union SIPTU has negotiated an agreement to bring an end to precarious working for around 8,000 home carers in the community, providing significant improvements to their pay and conditions and benefitting the people who depend on their services.
It means that workers’ travel time will be included in the calculation of their pay and hours of work. Under the deal, the valuable tasks performed by home carers will get greater recognition through a new job title, with the opportunity to become Health Care Support Assistants. Also agreed were minimum qualifications to be set for future intakes of staff, and an end to precarious work. This will help to align the sector with pay and conditions enjoyed by workers directly employed by the Irish Health Service Executive.
Said SIPTU Health Division Organiser Paul Bell: “These proposals are another step towards securing a quality home care service with fully qualified workers providing care for people who wish to remain in their own home, in their own community. Among the tangible benefits is that there will be a substantial increase in home care hours for the most vulnerable citizens in communities across the country.”