7 October 1999 Edition
Clonakilty home helps demand fair play
Home helps from the Clonakilty area have come together to demand holiday back pay and other entitlements which are the norm for other Southern Health Board employees. At O'Donovan's Hotel last week, around 15 home helps held a meeting which was addressed by the head of the home helps in the Munster area as well as by a representative of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU).
Mary Arrowsmith who represents over 500 home helps in Cork City and throughout Munster told how in 1997, home helps were being paid a meagre £1.40 an hour and had no holiday or public holiday entitlements.
This was the lowest rate of pay in the whole of the 26 Counties. Home helps have now got the hourly rate up to £3.00 an hour, they have won holiday back pay as far as 1993 and are presently in negotiations to receive the same entitlements as any other health board worker as regards bank holidays etc.
Noel Murphy of the ATGWU explained how home helps were regarded by the Southern Health Board as being self-employed workers. Through challenges in the Labour Court and other avenues, it was soon established should be treated like any other health board worker.
Murphy said that there were many other issues of concern that home helps would be campaigning for in the coming months, and he put sick pay at the top of this agenda.
Any home help who was unable to attend last week's meeting in Clonakilty, but would like to get involved or find out more information should contact 021-277151. Local UDC councillor Cionnaith O Súilleabháin who raised the home help pay issue at a meeting of Clonakilty UDC last year is spearheading the Home Helps Campaign in the West.
Mary Arrowsmith who represents over 500 home helps in Cork City and throughout Munster told how in 1997, home helps were being paid a meagre £1.40 an hour and had no holiday or public holiday entitlements.
This was the lowest rate of pay in the whole of the 26 Counties. Home helps have now got the hourly rate up to £3.00 an hour, they have won holiday back pay as far as 1993 and are presently in negotiations to receive the same entitlements as any other health board worker as regards bank holidays etc.
Noel Murphy of the ATGWU explained how home helps were regarded by the Southern Health Board as being self-employed workers. Through challenges in the Labour Court and other avenues, it was soon established should be treated like any other health board worker.
Murphy said that there were many other issues of concern that home helps would be campaigning for in the coming months, and he put sick pay at the top of this agenda.
Any home help who was unable to attend last week's meeting in Clonakilty, but would like to get involved or find out more information should contact 021-277151. Local UDC councillor Cionnaith O Súilleabháin who raised the home help pay issue at a meeting of Clonakilty UDC last year is spearheading the Home Helps Campaign in the West.