INMO signals work-to-rule if pay and staff demands unmet
General secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Liam Doran said industrial action “in the first stage” would take the form of a work-to-rule.
He said members would be asked to impose an overtime ban, a ban on redeployment and to refuse to provide cross-cover in the community.
Mr Doran said members were not going to “paper over the cracks” of staff shortages and ignore them — they would stay in their area and would not cross-cover for absent colleagues.
“That means managers are going to have to contract services — close beds and close services because we have too few nurses being asked to do too much and we have had enough of that.”
Mr Doran said the union would consult with members in the next four weeks to finalise the actions necessary to achieve their objectives.
A national ballot would seek a mandate to commence action if bed numbers and services were not reduced in line with available staffing levels. Mr Doran said members would decide if all-out strike action was necessary.
He stressed that the onus was on the Government to respond quickly to their demands. Until that happened, they would keep all their options on the table.
“The consistent and growing message from members is they cannot cope any longer with reduced salaries, unpaid additional hours and unsafe staffing levels leading to intolerable workloads.
“These realities are further exacerbated by the constant refusal of management to respect, and accept, the professional judgement of nurses and midwives as to when patient care is compromised and unsafe.”
The INMO’s executive council stated that current pay levels, following pay cuts and pension levies were inadequate in terms of attracting and retaining nursing and midwifery staff.
It also reaffirmed that current nurse and midwife staffing levels in clinical areas were wholly inadequate to provide safe care for the number of admitted patients.
Also, nurses and midwives were working excessively long hours, some of which were unpaid. They were under excessive pressure, and many were burnt out at the end of a shift.
The INMO also presented feedback from members. One nurse said she was a single parent and raising a child on her wages was almost impossible — on Wednesday she had just €10.
“I am 43 years old, and my parents have to help me out with school fees, tyres, heating oil and so much more. That is wrong.”
Another nurse said she had young children aged from 14 to four. Her husband cannot work due to a chronic illness. “I got paid on Saturday. I have €200 left for the month. Last month I had to go to St Vincent de Paul twice for food vouchers.”
