Nurses have overwhelmingly backed a campaign of industrial action in a bid to address their concerns over pay and other working conditions.
The Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA) today said their 40,000 members throughout the State had voted to support the campaign, which includes a work-to-rule and work stoppages.
Liam Doran:
Some 96 per cent of INO members and 97 per cent of PNA members voted in favour in a ballot over recent weeks.
INO general secretary Liam Doran said: "The mandate that our members have given represents a tremendous endorsement of, and solidarity with, this campaign.
"It also represents a public manifestation of the deep anger and frustration felt by nurses and midwives at their treatment at the hands of health service management who continue to look after themselves. Our 40,000 plus members have spoken, and it is time the government and health service employers listened."
PNA general Secretary Des Kavanagh said the ballot result confirmed the determination of the unions' membership to make progress on issues that have been outstanding for years.
"We remain available for, and look forward to, constructive discussions with Government and health service employers.
"However, if these do not begin then the clock has started ticking ,and we will not hesitate to commence this campaign and continue it until we achieve justice and equity for our members," Mr Kavanagh said.
Des Kavanagh, PNA
The two unions said they will now serve 21 days' notice on the Health Service Executive (HSE), after which they reserved the right to start any element of their campaign, including "a nationwide work-to-rule and short-duration rolling work stoppages" without further notice.
In addition, the unions will carry out three lunchtime protests, on Monday, February 26th, at Cork University Hospital; Friday, March 2nd, at University Hospital Galway and Limerick regional hospital; and on Friday March 9th at the Mater hospital, Dublin.
The unions said these lunchtime protests would not affect patient services.
They said they would invite all local TDs and senators to attend the protests, to address the members and to indicate their position on the campaign.
In a statement, the unions said they noted the unanimous adoption yesterday by the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children of a motion calling upon the Government to immediately start talks with the INO and PNA, on their substantial claims and "to take all reasonable steps towards ensuring equitable conditions apply in the health service".
A statement from the unions said: "This campaign is constructed in such a manner as to minimise disruption to patient services while maximising the disruption to health service management who have failed completely to recognise and address these legitimate claims."
The HSE expressed disappointment at the result of the ballot and the decision of the unions to serve strike notice.
In a statement, the HSE said: "All of the issues associated with the INO/PNA campaign were the subject of an in-depth examination by the Labour Court which recommended that their pay claims should be processed through the Public Service Benchmarking Body.
"In addition, the court also stated that it may be possible to effect a reduction in working hours of nurses and midwives through broader level discussions on a modernisation and change agenda, involving all other relevant groups, under the provisions of the new social partnership agreement Towards 2016."
Brendan Mulligan, assistant CEO of the HSE, said: "The public service benchmarking process provides a mechanism to have these claims adjudicated on, and even at this stage we would urge the unions to accept the Labour Court recommendation and also the terms of the new social partnership agreement."
Sinn Féin health spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin urged public support for the industrial action.
"These workers deserve the support of every political party and of every citizen the length and breadth of this state. People need to make clear where they stand, with the Minister for privatisation and A&E queues, or with our nurses and midwives," he said.