Nurses to stage protest rally over hours and pay

TWO main nurses’ unions are to hold a major rally in Dublin in protest of hours and pay, it emerged today.

The Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association haveformed a joint union campaign to fight for a 35-hour working week for nurses and midwives.

They also want to eliminate an anomaly which sees qualified and unqualified child care workers paid more than nurses and midwives for the first 21 years of their career.

The unions held their first rally in June this year, just one week ahead of eight claims being presented to the Labour Court on behalf of nurses and midwives.

The two main unions have opted out of benchmarking because they say it cannot address their member legitimate concerns.

The next rally is scheduled for Wednesday, November 22, at the Helix in Dublin City University.

The unions represent more than 40,000 members.

They do not believe benchmarking, which is the grading of public service positions, meets their demands.

The rally has also been called as a means for nurses and midwives to voice their anger and frustration at delays in the current Labour Court’s procedures.

Liam Doran INO General Secretary, said the Health Service Executive has failedits staff by not replying to questions asked by the Labour Court in August until last week.

A final decision is now expected within weeks.

Claims also include the payment of a Dublin working allowance, a review ofpremium payments and parity of pay with therapeutic grades.

Mr Doran said the delay was an insult to nurses, midwives, and the Labour Court.

“Nurses and midwives have waited for 26 years to have progress on the 35-hour work claim,” he said.

“Now we are told we have to wait 21 years until a staff nurse is paid more than somebody reporting to them.

“We are not going to have employers ignore these procedures.”

More than 1,200 activists attended the last rally.

Organisers are this time expecting a larger turnout but stressed it will not involve a work stoppage.

Des Kavanagh, General Secretary PNA added that there was absolute determination among nurses to get these issues resolved now.

Both the INO and PNA are determined that nurses and midwives, through this campaign, will achieve a reduction in their 39-hour working week which wouldbring them in line with all other professionals working in the Irish Health Service.

They said the recommendation was first made in the Labour Court as far back as1980.

Health minister Mary Harney said she was aware nurses and healthcare professionals worked extraordinarily hard and said all industrial claims had to be made through the appropriate forums.

“Benchmarking begins today and I think we should all have faith in that process,” she said. “It ensures those in the public sector are paid the same as those in the private sector.”