Cardiac surgeries are facing cancellations next week when perfusionists, who are members of the Fórsa trade union, engage in further strike action in a dispute over pay.
Perfusionists are cardiovascular specialists who manage the machines that temporarily take over the work of the heart and lungs during surgery.
The action next week will see 25 perfusionists across five hospitals engage in a work stoppage on Thursday, 2 and Friday, 3 July.
Three additional days of stoppages are planned from Monday, 6 to Wednesday, 8 July.
Fórsa has accused the HSE of taking a unilateral decision to break a long-standing pay link between perfusionists and medical scientists, and of refusing to implement a Labour Court recommendation to restore the link.
The union had paused previously planned strikes to allow the issue to be addressed in the context of upcoming public sector pay talks.
“However, no new public service pay talks forum has been established, and no progress has been made towards resolving the dispute,” Fórsa said.
A 24-hour strike by perfusionists earlier this month led to the cancellation of cardiac surgeries across five hospitals.
“Our members have shown considerable patience and restraint, but they cannot accept the continued failure to implement what is a binding recommendation,” said Fórsa Official Ryan McKinney.
“This is a matter of implementation. The HSE and the Department of Health need to honour the Labour Court recommendation without further delay,” Mr McKinney said.
The HSE has been contacted for comment.
It previously said that it remained firmly committed to continuing engagement with Fórsa in respect of the Labour Court recommendation with a view to avoiding further industrial action.
