Nurses defer work stoppage to vote on fresh proposals

NURSES fighting health cutbacks have called off a work stoppage at a west Cork hospital today to ballot on new proposals.

Members of the Irish Nurses’ Organisation based at Bantry General Hospital were due to stage the one-hour lunchtime work stoppage and protest over the effective downgrading of the hospital.

But, after talks with Health Service Executive managers yesterday, the organisation announced the deferral of the action for a week.

“The HSE has made an offer for consideration by INO members at Bantry General Hospital,” union spokesperson Patsy Doyle said.

“A meeting of members will take place tonight to discuss the offer. In the meantime, industrial action due to commence today at the hospital is deferred for one week, pending the outcome of a ballot.”

Last week, organisation members at the hospital voted 91% in favour of industrial action at the hospital in response to what they claimed was the targeting of frontline staff due to budgetary constraints.

They said they are determined to fight the termination of graduate nurses’ contracts, the removal of a third nurse on night duty to cover the hospital’s casualty area, and the closure of 14 surgical beds at the hospital.

But Ms Doyle described yesterday’s talks as a “good engagement” and said pending clarification, it is likely the organisation will recommend acceptance of the offer to its 110 members at the hospital tonight.

It is understood the HSE has offered work placements for the graduate nurses, who were on protective notice, in either Bantry General Hospital or Mallow hospital. The HSE has also signalled that it can keep a third nurse on night-duty in the casualty area.

The result of the ballot is expected on Thursday.

Today’s planned work stoppage was the first phase of the organisation’s fight to retain services at the hospital and the organisation warned that the industrial action will escalate if health chiefs enforced any further cutbacks.

The hospital’s supporters have pointed out that remotest parts of the region serviced by Bantry’s emergency department are about 200km from Cork City where the nearest full-time emergency centre is located. Supporters have vowed to make the hospital’s emergency department status a local election issue.