Nurses’ leaders must get it right next time

NURSES rightly feel betrayed for trusting their leadership to defer industrial action last summer in the vague hope that the benchmarking process would recommend in their favour.

Clearly it didn’t.

If the nurses’ leaders held their nerve in the lead-in to last year’s general election, a decent offer would surely have emerged. Instead they engaged in a futile balloting exercise.

The fact that the deferral was achieved by a slim margin enraged most nurses.

The nurses’ campaign last year had universal public support and caused minimal disruption to patient care.

Now their leaders are back on our TV screens after a six-month hibernation; they will need all their skills and charm to reignite last year’s brilliant campaign.

But do it they must. Public support is still there, though an energised protest agenda may hurt slightly more this time.

Our present and future carers deserve that their reasonable and modest claims be awarded with grace and gratitude by the Government.

Brendan Hayes

5 The Park

Huntsfield

Dooradoyle

Limerick