UNISON CHALLENGES HEALTH TRUST BOARDS TO STAND UP AGAINST FURTHER CUTS
Tomorrow (24th August) UNISON, the largest union in the health service, will challenge all five Health Trust Boards to refuse to comply with a demand for a further £70m in cuts.
The Trusts have been asked by the Department of Health to produce these cuts, despite the absence of a Commissioning Plan, and in the face of financial crisis.
UNISON will remind all Trusts that they have both legal and moral obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and to the health service workforce.
The people are suffering from rampant rationing of care. The workforce is suffering from pay capping and increasing casualisation. At the same time, private medicine is mushrooming as some make extraordinary profits from a growing crisis.
We are calling on the leadership of the Trusts to fulfil their obligations and be courageous in defence of our health service.
We will await their response tomorrow.
*** End Statement ***
Note to Editors:
1. UNISON will exercise speaking rights at all 5 Extraordinary Trust Board meetings scheduled for 12 noon on the 24th.
2. Key speakers are: Patricia McKeown at Belfast Trust, Thomas Mahaffy at Southern Trust, John Patrick Clayton at Northern Trust, Nuala Conlon at South Eastern Trust and Joe McCusker at Western Trust.
3. For comment, please contact Patricia McKeown – 07802 539 096 or UNISON – O28 9027 0190