Nurses' unions call for boycott of graduate employment scheme

Nursing unions are calling for a complete boycott of a new health service graduate employment scheme.

The Health Service Executive has announced plans to recruit 1,000 graduate nurses and midwives on reduced salaries next year.

The workers will be hired on 80% of the current entry pay scale.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association are branding the move "a cheap labour scam".

Liam Doran, the INMO General Secretary, said contracts issued to graduates in 2012 are being terminated as a result.

He said: "The Health Service Executive has now overtly said that hospitals are to immediately terminate existing contracts for 2012 graduates and the hospitals have been told to cease those contracts immediately so that these people are being forced into reapplying to do the same job on 80% of the salary rate."