Sir, Recently I was made aware of the fact that if, as seems likely, the threatened nurses strike goes ahead, nurses will not receive any payment whatsoever from their union. I find this surprising, to say the least. I am not fully au fait with the exact contributions made to the Irish Nurses' Organisation by the nurses over the past few years. However, the following is a rough estimate.
Taking the total number of nurses in the INO at, say, 6,000, a yearly contribution from each nurse of £90 will give an income of £540,000 a year. Over five years, this amounts to £2.7 million. Even allowing for a considerable error, the INO should be in a position to support its members to some small degree in this justified action.
Another point should be raised.
Why is it that nurses who will be giving emergency cover, some of whom will be working 36 hours a week, will not be paid for their work? I find the whole matter perplexing, to say the least. - Yours, etc.,
Beaumont,
Dublin 9.