IHCA to launch legal challenge against the State to end discrimination against new entrant consultants

IHCA to launch legal challenge against the State to end discrimination against new entrant consultants

Monday 12th December 2016: The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has announced that it is launching a legal challenge against the State and employers in order to end the ongoing discrimination against new entrant consultants. The case will challenge the discriminatory salary scales which have been imposed on new entrant consultants who have the same duties and responsibilities as their colleagues. New entrant consultants with 10 to 15 years postgraduate specialist training are commencing work on salaries 25% lower than their older consultant colleagues and they will never reach parity with them unless the discrimination is ended.

Commenting on the decision, Dr Tom Ryan, President of the IHCA, said: “We have little choice but to launch this challenge on behalf of all our members. Despite the fact that there are hundreds of permanent consultant posts vacant and that highly trained specialist doctors continue to emigrate, the State has persisted with its deliberate and incomprehensible decision to select new entrant Consultants for dramatic salary cuts.  This action is a blatant breach of employment equality legislation which prohibits such discrimination. The Association will always support and insist on equal pay for equal work.”

The IHCA is currently surveying its public contract members to assemble robust statistical evidence in support of these cases. Any consultants who may not have received an invitation to complete the survey are invited to contact the IHCA without delay.

ENDS

For further information contact:

James Dunny, FleishmanHillard 086 388 3903