Nurses to lodge pay submission with benchmarking body

Nurses and midwives are due to lodge a formal submission today to the benchmarking body that decides on pay increases for public sector employees

The move is being made by the Irish Nurses Organisation and Psychiatric Nurses Association, who had previously said they had no confidence in the body.

The two organisations mounted a long-running industrial action earlier this year seeking a 10% pay rise and a 35-hour working week.

They eventually backed down on the pay demand after the Government insisted that the matter could only be dealt with through benchmarking.

An independent commission is to report later this year on how and when the nurses can achieve a 35 hour week, while the Labour Court is to rule on how the reduction can be phased in.