Junior doctors pull out of overtime talks

JUNIOR doctors have pulled out of Labour Court talks on overtime which were due to begin tomorrow.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) decided not to participate on the grounds that they could jeopardise other talks currently taking place at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).

The court agreed to defer the talks.

The IMO says it does not want to address the definition of overtime until the current dispute over rosters and training is resolved at LRC level.

Brendan Mulligan of the Health Service Employers Organisation, which represents management of the health boards, said he was shocked and disappointed at the doctors’ decision to pull out of the hearing.

He said that the issue of when overtime would arise was crucial to the discussions taking place at the LRC.

IMO spokesperson Maria Murphy said the doctors had not been reprimanded by the Labour Court.

She said the court had agreed to a deferral.

The Labour Court hearing was due to determine how the non-consultant hospital doctors should be paid for overtime, she said.

“The hearing had been planned before the current dispute over rostering so we requested it be deferred as it could undermine progress on the LRC talks,” she said.

Meanwhile, the LRC talks resumed yesterday afternoon and will continue today.

A deadline has been set for September 16. The doctors have threatened industrial action if a peace formula has not emerged by that date.