Cork nurses may sue hospital after cuts to pay
Catering and portering staff have already felt the brunt of the cuts and the rest of the hospital staff, with the exception of junior doctors, will see the reductions applied in their next pay packets.
The cuts include:
*Deferral of increments
* Halving of the acting-up allowance, worth approximately €20 per week
* Single time instead of double time for bank holidays
*Suspension of the Unsocial Hours allowance, worth time and a sixth
* Suspension of the Saturday Allowance, worth about €14.
Last night the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) reacted furiously to the management decision to implement the cuts while talks with the unions are ongoing.
“The most disturbing aspect to this is we have been involved in talks with them for the past number of weeks, we said from the outset we would not engage if there was interference with premium payments during the talks process, and that is exactly what has happened,” said INO industrial relations officer Michael Dineen.
Nurses will meet on Tuesday night and will be balloted for industrial action.
“There will be all-out strike over this,” Mr Dineen said. “It is very hard to have faith in management given the manner in which this has been done.”
The proposal to cut premium payments was circulated to unions last month as part of a series of cost-cutting measures designed to claw back a €3.2 million budget overrun.
The proposals also include the non-renewal of leases and rents on property used for staff and office accommodation due for review this year; changes in work practices such as reducing the number of call-outs and an unpaid leave scheme.
The total savings identified by management amount to €2.15m. This leaves a shortfall of €1.05m to be found through other initiatives. Management are looking at whether it is possible to maintain the staffing complement and service delivery and achieve a financial break-even situation in 2009. The termination of 43 temporary work contracts is under consideration.
Last night a spokesperson for the hospital said management could “pull back on the reduction of premium payments if the unions could come up with alternatives”.
He said talks were continuing.
Mr Dineen said the INO is liaising with its legal advisers.
