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Ructions at Limerick's Regional Hospital over hygiene in porters' room and absenteeism
RELATIONS between management and porters at the Limerick Regional Hospital reached an all-time low this week, with confirmation that over 50 jobs in this sector may be privatised and a serious row erupting over hygiene issues.
This follows four lightning "unofficial" strikes in recent weeks and "ongoing problems with absenteesim". The HSE say they have lost patience with some porters who claim that there are major hygiene problems in facilities assigned to them.
Amid claim and counter-claim, management say certain porters' attitude to patient care and safety is "appalling".
John O Brien, manager of the HSE, Mid-West told the Limerick Leader that they have had too many incidents involving some of the 54 porters and now they had to take action. "Absenteeism levels are one of the highest, if not the highest, in the country at 15 per cent. We are working off norms of about three and a half per cent absenteeism. I think that the absenteeism levels in industry would be five per cent. That is characterised (in the Regional] by single day absences, ringing up at short notice and so on," he told the Limerick Leader.
"In terms of sick leave we are considering not making payment for single days from now. We are also considering the possibility about part privatising or privatising that service from now on considering the way they are carrying on and behaving. We are also considering disciplinary action if there are further lightning strikes." He was replying to criticisms from porters who gave the Limerick Leader photographs to show "the disgraceful and unhygienic conditions" that they claim they have to work in.
"The photos don't lie," one said. "We are supposed to cook our food with a leaking roof, a room with a broken window, filthy walls and floors. We then go out and have to move patients. No wonder there is so much infections in the hospital.
"We contacted health and safety and left messages but they never came. Of course they are never going to check on their own. There is a house for cats at the back of the hospital and they have better conditions than we have. There is no shower, no disinfectant to wash our hands, no towels. They don't care about us," he said.
Another said that the porters' room at the rear of the hospital, along with being filthy, was also very cold. "If it is raining you have to move or drops of rain will come through the hole in the roof and on to your food. This place should be closed immediately."
They claim the SIPTU union representative has written regarding the conditions, but despite numerous calls and messages, he was unable to return calls to the Limerick Leader.
But the HSE claim that the people giving the information to the Limerick Leader did not tell the full story and that the porters refused to allow the "rest room" be renovated.
FOR FULL STORY AND PICTURES SEE OUR WEEKEND EDITION
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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