27th July 2010 Talks begin in Otis Lifts dispute as breakdowns increase Tralee General Hospital saw the most serious breakdown in lift services so far in the Otis Lifts dispute, which began on July 2nd over the compulsory sacking of 17 employees. Last Wednesday and Thursday there were three of the six lifts in the hospital out of action, including two theatre lifts. Although management had rejected the offer of emergency cover from members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union who were on strike, it agreed, after failing to provide repair crews itself, to allow the strikers to carry out the work. As soon as the lifts were reported working again the company deactivated the men’s phone cards and insurance cover, making it impossible for them to continue providing emergency cover. “Our members are also concerned about the state of the lift services at Beaumont, St James’s and the Mater hospitals in Dublin”, TEEU Assistant General Secretary Arthur Hall said today. “They have offered emergency cover but the company has rejected it and, just to make sure TEEU members cannot provide it, Otis representatives called to the homes of 25 members over the weekend and seized their vans. “We have agreed to enter talks at the Labour Relations Commission this afternoon in a renewed attempt to resolve the dispute but the company seems determined to do everything possible to exacerbate things”, he said. “While we remain committed to finding a resolution the company says it now wants to make even more lift engineers redundant, increasing the gap between the two sides. “Hopefully its clients will take note of these activities and put some pressure on the company to show at least a modicum of responsibility towards the wider community.”