If talks bring no proposals, hospital strikes to go ahead

A STRIKE at Dublin’s seven main hospitals on April 7 will go ahead if firm proposals on the issues of public service pay and the outsourcing of jobs have not emerged from talks between unions and government officials which began yesterday.

However ICTU president Jack O’Connor said that no escalation in the current public sector industrial action was “envisaged” while the talks, scheduled to conclude at the end of next week, are in progress.

Mr O’Connor said; “Strike notices stand, no action has been deferred, no action has been stood down, no notice has been amended, no notice has been withdrawn but we will not be escalating while the talks are ongoing.”