A dispute at Irish hospitals which management says stems from a row over who can change lightbulbs has escalated with the suspension of electricians over a work-to-rule policy.
The workers say the row covers much wider issues, such as on-call and emergency cover. Electricians in the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) working in the health service in the south-west and south-east of Ireland have been suspended in the row.
Management says it is a result of their refusal to allow "non-qualified electricians" to change light bulbs at Cork University Hospital. The Health Service Executive (HSE) which runs the Republic's health service says that a work-to-rule from Wednesday means union members are refusing to carry bleepers or answer pagers and mobile phones.
The HSE says they are also refusing to complete any paperwork, and are ignoring any written instructions, only accepting verbal orders to work. Hospitals and medical facilities in Wexford, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Carlow, Waterford, Cork and Kerry are affected by the dispute.
According to the HSE, TEEU members have now withdrawn what managers term as "life or death" emergency cover at Kerry General Hospital and Tralee and Mallow General Hospital in County Cork, leading to the suspension of 20 staff.
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