INO advise nurses during industrial unrest

THE Irish Nurses’ Organisation has told its members to refuse work arising from unfilled posts or reduced overtime.

The INO has advised all branch officers and nurse representatives to contact the organisation immediately whenever and wherever staffing reductions are implemented.

The move comes as industrial unrest in the health services over the Government’s cutback agenda is expected to spill over next week.

Theatre nurses will begin industrial action at three mid-west hospitals on Monday over on-call payments.

The hospitals involved are the Mid West Regional Hospital, Limerick; Nenagh General Hospital and Ennis General Hospital.

INO industrial relations Officer, Helen Rouine, said the national on-call rate was completely inadequate and outdated.

“This rate of less than one euro per hour to our theatre nurse members when on call is totally unacceptable,” she said.

At Bantry General Hospital in Co Cork, over 90% of nurses voted in favour of industrial action from Tuesday, September 24 next.

The dispute is over night duty staffing levels and the 70 members involved are members of the Irish Nurses Organisation.

While the union argues that the situation has the potential to compromise their members both professionally and ethically, the Southern Health Board claims the hospital has adequate numbers of nurses working at all times.

At University College Hospital in Galway, SIPTU has withdrawn plans to begin a work-to-rule.

IMPACT has already told its members not to cover the work of posts axed or left vacant by the cuts in the health board area.

The Mid Western Health Board yesterday decided not to fill 65 posts in order to achieve a reduction of €850,000 in its budget.

The board’s Chief Executive, Stiofan DeBurca, described the measure as 'bloodless surgery' because none of the existing staff are set to lose their jobs as a result of the move.

Talks at the Labour Relations Commission on the junior doctors’ roster dispute resume Wednesday.