Healthcare crisis looms as nurses’ anger grows
Industrial action, which centres primarily on inadequate nurse staffing levels and on-call remuneration, is set to escalate with the INO preparing ballots at several other hospitals.
The INO said work-to-rule and other protest actions would impact severely on waiting lists and pre-planned operations.
INO deputy general secretary Dave Hughes said: “Our members are determined not to bear the brunt of cutbacks.
“Too often in the past, nurses carried the weight of cutbacks and watched almost helplessly as the level of patient care diminished in front of their eyes. The nurses’ message this time around is budgetary constraints will not be on our backs.”
Fine Gael frontbencher Olivia Mitchell said it was outrageous that the Government allows the same battle to be fought out in individual hospitals across the country.
“These disputes are national problems. Individual hospitals are not in a position to negotiate pay awards so, in each hospital, the problem will fester until it deteriorates into industrial action.”
This was strongly rejected by Health Minister Micheál Martin last night. He said he would condemn any strike action and called on all parties to resolve outstanding issues before the Labour Relations Commission.
He also refuted Ms Mitchell’s claims that the Government was largely responsible for unrest in the health sector.
Meanwhile, the Irish Medical Organisation’s Fintan Hourihane appealed to healthcare employers to adopt a commonsense approach over work rosters for junior doctors.
Industrial action is being threatened by junior doctors at Waterford Regional Hospital over the introduction of new work rosters. “Industrial action is a last resort but it may be unavoidable,” Mr Hourihan warned.
The INO’s industrial relations officer in the south east, Tony Fitzpatrick said a nurses’ ballot in Our Lady’s Hospital in Cashel, announced yesterday, showed 99% were in favour of strike action. The dispute over inadequate staffing levels, he said, will begin with a lunchtime protest on October 14, followed by a work-to-rule.
“Cashel is a surgical hospital and pre-planned operations will be curtailed due to the unsafe levels of theatre staff,” he said.
Nurses are to ballot shortly on action over staff shortages at St Patrick’s Hospital, Waterford. The INO is also considering similar action at St Bridget’s in Carrick-on-Suir.
