Junior doctors to go ahead with strike

Junior doctors have resumed plans for strike action likely to cause widespread disruption in public hospitals after the breakdown of talks with employers over excessive working hours.

The day of action was deferred last week to allow further talks with the HSE.

However, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said last night it was unhappy with progress, particularly the refusal of the HSE to accept “realistic financial sanctions” for failing to comply with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD).

The IMO wants an immediate end to shifts of over 24 hours and clarity on how the HSE will meet its commitment to ensure no doctor works longer than 48 hours a week by the end of next year.

Currently, junior doctors work weekly shifts averaging 60 hours and have been known to reach 100 hours in some locations.

Junior doctors had originally threatened to walk off wards on Sept 25, but the action was adjourned at the request of the Labour Relations Commission to allow further talks between the HSE and the IMO which represents about 2,000 junior doctors.

Last night Eric Young, assistant director industrial relations at the IMO, said the HSE had failed to demonstrate to the junior doctors that it was committed to addressing the working hours crisis in a real and meaningful way.

Mr Young said the HSE had attended meetings with “no preparation to show and no ideas to offer to a decade-old dispute”.

In a statement, the HSE said it was “extremely disappointed” at the IMO’s decision to serve strike notice yesterday. Barry O’Brien, HSE director for human resources, called on the union to reconsider its position and “to allow the process as set out in the management proposals to commence immediately”.

“Significant progress has been achieved at the Labour Relations Commission recently and this progress was subsequently confirmed and acknowledged by the IMO following that engagement. Proceeding with strike action at this time will only serve to create significant disruption for patients and the delivery of important services to them,” he said.