People Before Profit TD and former hospital worker Gino Kenny today said that hospital workers who will engage in strike action tomorrow are right to stand up to the government because “they deserve respect and better pay”.

The TD for Dublin Mid-West offered the full support of his party, People Before Profit, to the striking workers.

He said:

“I fully support my fellow hospital workers who have taken the decision to stand up for themselves through strike action. Over the past few years they have taken on more responsibilities in infection control, cleaning of patients and a host of other activities.

“Cuts to the numbers of health service workers and a policy of ‘more with less’ from the HSE and Department of Health has led to an untenable situation for these workers and others in the health service.

“For the Minister for Health Simon Harris to attack these workers for taking strike action over pay whilst his government are presiding over outrageous overspends in the construction of the new National Maternity Hospital is a disgrace.

“Workers need to get their share of the recovery. For the vast majority of workers there is not much sense of a recovery when the cost of living, rent and accommodation, childcare and transport have gone through the roof while wages have remained relatively static.

“I am calling on people to get behind the hospital workers who provide such excellent care to their patients, and I am calling on the government and Paschal Donohoe to pay up and give these workers the respect and pay they deserve.”