Nurses at Killarney Community Hospital in Kerry are to conduct a one-hour work stoppage this afternoon in protest at proposed changes to management structures at the hospital.
The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said the changes, which would see the abolition of the director of nursing post, will lead to the downgrading in the status of the hospital.
The INO’s Industrial Relations Officer Michael Dineen said: “Our members employed within Killarney Community Hospital have been left with no alternative but to withdraw their labour for one hour in order to demonstrate their total opposition to the intimidatory and dictatorial imposition of changes in the management structures of the Hospital.”
He said the changes had been imposed by Health Service Executive despite a request from the INO that they be suspended to allow for the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission.
“The HSE committed to revert to us with regard to our proposal to allow a suspension of the management changes but have failed to do so,” he said.
Mr Dineen said patient safety would be paramount during the stoppage and the action will not lead to any diminution of care to patients within the hospital.