Time for both sides to compromise

MINISTER for Health Mícheál Martin yesterday unequivocally ruled out the possibility of his direct intervention in the hospital doctors dispute, which is regrettable.

By opting to allow the industrial relations process take its own course, the minister is running a serious risk of having this dispute fester and gradually develop into a long drawn-out affair, and maybe even extend to become nationwide.

So far, this industrial mediation process has proven inadequate as witnessed by the non attendance of the Health Services Employers Association (HSEA) at the Labour Relations Commission talks on Monday.