SIPTU members of the National Advocacy Service have taken their strike action to Kilkenny city.
County advocates for Kilkenny, Carlow and Tipperary are on The Parade as part of their decision to down tools over pay and conditions – they say the Government has failed to implement Labour Court recommendations.
It means vulnerable adults with disabilities will be left without some services. The group has published the following statement on their website;
“The National Advocacy Service (NAS) regrets to announce that due to an ongoing pay dispute, indefinite strike action by staff in NAS has commenced from Wednesday 12th June 2024.
As a result of this strike action, our national line is closed until further notice. We regret to inform you that all advocacy services are also unavailable at this time. We deeply apologise for the inconvenience this situation will cause to those who need our support and to our stakeholders.
Joanne Condon, NAS National Manager stated, “We understand the critical nature of the advocacy services we provide and the impact that this disruption will have on those who rely on us. Our priority is to address the concerns at hand and restore full operations as soon as possible. We are actively engaged in negotiations with our funder and are hopeful for a prompt resolution that ensures the continuation of our essential services. It is critical for our staff to receive reasonable pay that reflects the vital work they perform.”
Many of the people NAS supports are isolated from their community of choice or mainstream society, may communicate differently and/or have limited informal or natural supports. We are extremely mindful of the devastating impact this strike will have on them, especially on those individuals who are in particularly vulnerable situations.
We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves. For more information and ongoing updates, please visit our website at (www.advocacy.ie) or follow our social media channels.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging time.”
Brian Redmond was joined on The KCLR Daily by Suzy Byrne who has family connections in Callan, Co Kilkenny, from the picket in Dublin and SIPTU Deputy General Secretary John King;
County advocates for Carlow Anna Dunphy, Kilkenny Martina Ellis and Tipperary Anna Fox took the action to The Parade in Kilkenny – Brian too linked up to them;
KCLR’s contacted the Citizens Information Board and Department of Social Protection for comment.
