Gino Kenny demands resolution to 20-year lab scientists' pay claim

Mr, we've seen during COVID, which is ongoing, the importance of laboratory scientists and a number of months ago, them same laboratory scientists had to come out and strike in relation to pay parity. So what steps are you taking in relation to resolving this issue? Mr. Thanks very much for raising the issue and can I say that like you, I really do respect and acknowledge the huge work that the medical scientists have done. and continue to do. Following the strike action on the 18th and the 24th of May, Health Management and the MLSA attended an exploratory engagement at the Labour Court, that was on the 25th of May, for the Court to establish whether or how it might assist the parties in finding a resolution to the matters in the dispute. Following engagement at the Labour Court, the parties agreed to reconvene at the WRC for a final engagement process. This process took place over a three-week period. Parties agreed that any outstanding issues which couldn't be resolved through the WRC process would be referred to the Labour Court for a final recommendation. During these talks, an agreement was reached on a process to assess a claim which they have had for, I think it is 20 years. They have been looking for a resolution to this. Now, as the Deputy will appreciate, because this is an ongoing industrial relations process, it would be inappropriate to discuss the funding of any outcomes that are yet to be determined. It is positive that the MLSA agreed to lift their strike action and the parties reached agreement on a process to assess the claim. I want to acknowledge the recruitment challenges in relation to medical scientists. The HSE aims to recruit about 160 new medical scientist roles this year and in each subsequent year. So we are investing in and expanding in this really important professional group and a recruitment campaign is planned along with other initiatives to address the various challenges that have been raised. I do welcome that a settlement may be possible in relation to the ongoing discussions. These laboratory scientists have been waiting for over 20 years in relation to pay priority. Some of their colleagues that do similar work were getting more, like 8% more than them. So they were very, very patient indeed. It was hugely popular publicly in relation to the strike itself. Obviously the laboratory scientists did not want to be on strike, but they were compelled to go on strike because of that issue. Around equal pay for equal work. So it is really, really important that this is resolved. Not only the pay issue, but other issues, which I will kind of allude to in the next part of the question. Thanks Deputy. Thanks Deputy. There were various parts to this. One where there was an assessment done in terms of the grade and then the following year that got changed as part of benchmarking, which led to one of the anomalies. One of the other, one of the other anomalies relates to medical lab laboratory aids. Now the medical laboratory aids were uplifted from band two to band one under a job evaluation scheme. And this led to an anomaly where they were paid more than medical scientists in year one, even though they're, they're, they're, they're not at the, they're at a different level. Now in year two, the anomaly does rectify itself and the medical scientists earn considerably more at every point of the scale thereafter. But it's just one example of an anomaly which, which, which has been causing real frustration and which needs to be addressed as part of the, the ongoing discussions. And so hopefully this anomaly can be resolved, because as I said, the workers have been waiting a considerable amount of time. Just to use our issues, Minister, which the, the laboratory scientists have kind of touched on. It was in relation to vacant posts in their profession. And he said, they said one in five posts are currently vacant. Now that's obviously very, very worrying in relation to, you know, qualified staff as such, such as that. And obviously, you know, hopefully them posts can be filled. So is there a kind of, I know, I, again, I know you can't, you know, you don't know, you can't, you know, predict what could happen in relation to the WRC talks. But it sounds positive and hopefully it's resolved. And then on from that is that some of these posts are filled as soon as possible, because obviously we, as we see in Jordan, the pandemic, frontline staff, such as, such as laboratory scientists are absolutely crucial. And that, in fact, you've seen how, when, when they went on strike, that almost, you know, the hospital. Thank you Deputy. Thanks very much Deputy. And, and yes, there is a, there is a pressing need to hire a substantial number of additional medical scientists. So the workforce at the moment stands at a little over 2,100 whole time equivalents. However, the HSC has done an analysis of the numbers that need to be hired. And what they've projected is a requirement to recruit nearly 400 this year, because there's a lot of posts, a lot of replacement posts need to be filled. So the HSC is, is estimating a need to hire 400 this year and then an additional 160 every year after that. The Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Henry as well, is, is leading a piece of work, looking at the future direction of this. You know, as we invest more in technologies, as genetics and, and the various scientific disciplines come more and more and more at the fore, we're going to need to build out and continue to invest in the profession and in this workforce.