On song: protest gets in tune to show solidarity

YOU’LL Never Walk Alone, the immortal anthem penned by the aptly named Gerry and the Pacemakers, belted out as nurses marched outside one of the country’s largest hospitals yesterday.

The repertoire of battle hymns which the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) had chosen to accompany their three-hour industrial action at Cork University Hospital clearly showed their mentality: determination and solidarity.

Only occasionally were the songs emanating from large speakers drowned out by the honking horns of passing cars and lorries.

In response, the protesters numbering 600 at peak, cheered with appreciation.

The Kaiser Chiefs’ “I Predict A Riot” was played a couple of times along with Queen’s “We Will Rock You”; which will no doubt worry Mary Harney and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

There was the obligatory “Angels” by Robbie Williams, followed by the Beatles “Hard Days Night” and Abba’s “Money, Money, Money (It’s A Rich Man’s World”. The latter was a clear reference to the HSE’s threat to dock nurses 13.16% of their pay for work stoppages.

INO national executive member, Mary Forde, described the threat as “absolutely scurrilous”. She called on SIPTU and IMPACT to voice their concern, as well as the Irish Congress of Trade Unions which, she said, had been unusually quiet on the matter.

“If they think that is going to break us, they’re wrong. It has actually strengthened our resolve. Any goodwill there was has now gone,” Ms Forde said.

As if to emphasise the solidarity, the ranks of CUH nurses were swelled by colleagues from hospitals in Bantry, Mallow and Buttevant.

Lisa O’Sullivan, who made the trek up from Bantry on her day off, had been protesting in Dublin the previous day. Her colleague, Margaret Cronin, predicted that their action would escalate.

Geraldine Mulcahy, a nurse at the private Bons Secours hospital, also joined the protest, even though she’s not affected by the wage threat. She predicted that the Government would capitulate.

“They will need our votes. Right now they need us more than we need them,” she said.

Martin McNamara, a 53-year-old patient suffering from motor neurone disease, braved the elements and joined the nurses outside the main gate in his wheelchair.

“They deserve a lot better treatment. It’s mad to suggest they should have their wages docked. The Government is crap,” he said.

Members of the HSE South forum have sent a letter to Professor Brendan Drumm asking him to withdraw the wage deduction threat. Forum chairman, Ciarán Lynch, urged him to enter into constructive negotiations with the nurses.