Sinn Féin spokesperson on Workers’ Rights, Louise O’Reilly, has hit out at Fine Gael’s long track record of disrespect for those health and community workers employed in the community and voluntary sector (also known as Section 39 workers), who provide essential health, care and disabilities services for the state.

Louise O’Reilly was speaking in response to Simon Harris’ engagement with a clearly angry and upset Section 39 worker on the campaign trail yesterday.

Louise O’Reilly said:

“Health and community workers, employed in community and voluntary sector agencies have been fighting for pay equality for years. These workers are essential in providing healthcare and services for people with disabilities on behalf of the state and they have been badly let down by Fine Gael for the last 14 years.

“It’s time to respect these workers and pay them properly. The failure to do so not only involved pay inequality, it is resulting in a huge turnover in these staff and ongoing difficulties in recruiting much needed staff.

“It is clear why these workers are upset and angry. The lack of equal pay undervalues the staff themselves who are overstretched and burnt out while watching their colleagues doing the exact same work but employed by HSE with a better remuneration package.

“Sinn Féin has committed in our manifesto that, in government, we will end pay disparities between health and community workers, employed in community and voluntary sector agencies and those employed directly by the HSE.”