Paula Walters of SIPTU takes some enquiries on the HSE

Brendan Drum of the HSE had earmarked the St Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital in Cork as next in line for his cuts. But workers at the hospital are intent on fighting back and not accepting this. Kevin Doyle interviewed Paula Walters, SIPTU member, and a hospital attendant with over 30 years experience at the hospital.

Q:To begin with Paula, for those not familiar with Cork and its hospitals, what sort of place is the Orthopaedic?

A: The hospital’s main business is with bones and it specialises in hips and knee replacements, and broken legs. Mostly people who come up to us have something like that the matter with them. That’s what it specialises in. There are others area too like Plastics and Physio too. The Orthopaedic was one of the first of its kind in the south of Ireland. It opened 53 years ago. It’s on the North side of Cork, in Gurranbraher, the last hospital of any size in what is a huge area of Cork city. It has big grounds. It’s a homely hospital – it’s small and a lovely place to work in. A lot of people’s families worked there over generations. It’s a very calm hospital in a way.

Q: How many are working there now?

A: Roughly between staff and kitchen staff and so on, you would have about 200 people.

Q: People will be familiar with the cutback in the Mercy Hosptial and the ongoing refusal by the HSE to fund the opening of the new A & E there. What’s been happening at the Orthopaedic?

The interview continues after the jump...

For almost a week now the media has been full of stories about toxic waste found at the former Irish Steel (aka Irish Ispat) site on Haulbowline, including the statistical evidence that Cobh town, a few hundred metres away, has a cancer incidence rate which is 44% above the national average.

These photos were taken at 8.45am Thursday morning, 3rd July - there appeared to be one person on site at the time (see photo below). However life and work continued as usual at the naval base next door, in Cobh town and Ringaskiddy. Photo 5 shows the now levelled site of the old furnace hall which is the large building shown on some television reports - also the proximity of this to the main Naval Mess Hall and playing pitches on Haulbowline - and the National Maritime College at Ringaskiddy (photo background).

Workers from the IMPACT union marched from Cork University Hospital to the HQ of the HSE on Model Farm Road today at 1 pm to protest against the ongoing recruitment embargo being orchestrated by the HSE.

The protest, part of national action, was joined by nurses from CUH, by IMPACT members from the Mercy Hospital and by workers from City Hall. Placards called for an "End To The Jobs Embargo" and "No To Cuts". About 300 workers in all took part.

Related Links: IMPACT health workers warned of further serious cuts in health | New A&E unit yet to ../see a patient | Public grounds; private hospital

End of the road in Cork

A Traveller couple in their late 50s, and their family, are being consistently and mercilessly hounded around the northside of Cork by gardai at the request of Cork City Council.

Both Agens and Martin Faulkner are on medication for depression and anxiety, while also suffering from heart and respiratory problems. Their 15-year old daughter is attending school locally and began her Junior Certificate exams last week.

In the last seven months, the family of Agens and Martin Faulkner have lived at more than 8 different locations on the side of the road in the north of Cork city. Apart from the carpark on the Glen Rd., where they were for 3 months, and the Kilmore Rd in Knocknaheeny, where they spent 5 or 6 weeks, they have never been allowed to stay anywhere for more than a few days.

Scene of the crime

In mid April, Cork dock workers took action in support of the crew of The Defender, a cargo ship owned by Forestry Shipping from Riga, Latvia but registered in Cambodia.

The Defender had nine crew on board and was carrying cargo for delivery in the Cork area.Kevin Doyle spoke to Peter Andrers, Stephen McCarty and Timmy Ricken, members of SIPTU’s No 5 branch about the action.

Related Links: Siptu - International Transport Workers Federation