St. Aidan’s Day Care Services at Millands, Gorey, and Camolin, could be facing industrial action after four unions have agreed to ballot staff due to alleged non-payment of increments over a number of years.

In January 2013, the Labour Court found that staff had an entitlement to increments, however, St. Aidan’s management and the HSE have not addressed the issue.

Now the four unions, the INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Association), the PNA (Psychiatric Nurses Association), IMPACT and SIPTU are jointly balloting their members on industrial action.

St. Aidan’s employs 130 staff, 72 of which are directly affected by non-payment of increments.

Staff have already taken a pay cut and have agreed to reduced sick pay entitlements, however, the non-payment of increments is a step too far and staff have now decided unanimously to proceed with balloting their members.

St. Aidan’s has experienced funding difficulties over the past five years, funding has been reduced significantly, and some staff have not been replaced.

Full story in this week’s edition of THE GOREY ECHO.