Nursing Alliance leaders have reacted angrily to claims by health service management that it would cost more than £200 million to meet pay claims arising out of the Commission on Nursing.
The chairman of the alliance, Mr Liam Doran, said the true figure was probably nearer £90 million, but that even if the employers' estimate was correct, the unions made no apology for making their claim.
The exchanges followed daylong hearings at the Labour Court yesterday and underlined the lack of progress made. The court may call the parties back for further soundings but this is thought unlikely. Its recommendation is expected by the end of the month.
The crux of the dispute remains the huge gap between the two sides over the interpretation of the nursing commission report and the Labour Court recommendation which settled the previous nurses' dispute in March 1997.
The Nursing Alliance maintains that all the issues are part of "unfinished business" under the restructuring clause of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. Thus, any awards made by the court would have no knock-on effect for other public-sector workers. This applies to the long-service increment sought for staff nurses, the qualification allowances and pay rises for ward sisters and other management grades.
The only point the unions will concede is that some of the payments due to ward sisters, because of their changing role, could be discussed and paid for under Partnership 2000, but this could mean further pay demands on top of those tabled.
The Health Service Employers' Agency is insisting that all of the claims have to be dealt with in the context of Partnership 2000 and any increases for nurses will have consequential effects on public sector pay. It is now up to the Labour Court to adjudicate on the merits of the arguments and then to decide on what basis to award the nurses any increases.
The chief executive of the employers' agency, Mr Gerard Barry, described the union claim as "astronomical and not capable of being met". He said £200 million would represent a 25 per cent increase for nurses and add 10 per cent to the health service's £2 billion payroll.
Pay increases for ward sisters and higher grades would cost £55 million, the allowances for extra qualifications £41 million and the new long-service increments for staff nurses £35 million. Unsocial hours premiums for weekends and night work would cost £42 million and special on-call payments for groups such as public health nurses and theatre staff another £20 million.
Mr Doran said he estimated the claim at about £90 million, but he made no apology if it came to more. The claim was tabled because it was "necessary to put nursing on a proper pay footing. The statements made by the other side . . . will certainly not soften the stance of nurses." SIPTU negotiator Mr Oliver MacDonagh said the employers agency had shown "no inclination to get into meaningful negotiations".