The health service was dealt another blow today as nursing unions announced a third phase of rolling work stoppages across the State.
As a Statewide work-to-rule entered its second week, the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) revealed that medical and psychiatric services across Dublin, Louth, Cork, Sligo, Laois and Clare would be targeted.
Pickets will be held outside a number of health facilities this week as more than 40,000 nurses and midwives intensify their fight for better pay and working conditions.
On Tuesday, one-hour work stoppages will hit Sligo General Hospital and Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Services; Louth County Hospital and Dundalk and Louth Mental Health Services; and Bantry General Hospital and West Cork Mental Health Services.
On Wednesday, similar action will affect St James's Hospital, Dublin, and St Patrick's Psychiatric Hospital, Dublin; Portlaoise General Hospital and Laois/Offaly Mental Health Services; and Ennis General Hospital and Clare Mental Health Services.
INO deputy general secretary Dave Hughes said: "These short work stoppages, which will again see nurses and midwives provide all essential and emergency care including no diminution with regard to critical care areas, marks a further escalation in the campaign as the number of hospitals, involved each day, has been increased.
"The INO/PNA again re-state their position that they are available for meaningful negotiation, capable of resolving this dispute, but in the absence of such negotiations these short work stoppages will continue and escalate still further in due course."
Last week, thousands took part in work stoppages protesting outside two of Dublin's biggest hospitals as well as health facilities in Tipperary, Roscommon, and Portrane, north Dublin. The new stoppages - from 11am to noon - look set to throw the health service into further chaos as thousands more threaten to walk out.
Nurses and midwives will also continue to work to rule, refusing to carry out non-nursing duties including answering telephones, IT and admin duties, attending meetings and opening and closing community facilities.
The INO and PNA are seeking a 35-hour working week for their members and a 10.5 per cent pay increase, outside of the benchmarking process.
The unions have said that in order to secure a 35-hour working week, members are willing to negotiate and have offered an expansion of roles, changes in rosters and new skill mixes, and have also offered to validate those changes before the reduced working week is implemented.
Their demands have been refused by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Meanwhile, two unions representing almost 35,000 non-nursing staff employed by the HSE have also made a claim for a 35-hour working week.
Siptu, which has more than 30,000 workers including porters, ambulance crews, catering staff and healthcare assistants, and the Local Authority and Health Services Craft Group of Unions, which covers 4,500 workers, such as electricians, plumbers and maintenance staff, lodged the claim in the last three weeks. However, neither group has threatened industrial action.
PA