Nurses take pay protest to the streets

THE dispute between nursing unions and healthemployers worsened yesterday when more than 700 nurses took part in the first phase of planned nationwideindustrial action.

Members of the Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses’ Association (PNA) rallied at the gates of Cork University Hospital (CUH) for a lunchtime protest to highlight demands for improved pay and conditions.

INO general secretary Liam Doran said health employers had made no attempt to resolve the dispute in the 21 days since the unions served the Health Service Executive Employers Agency (HSEEA) with strike notice.