The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has become the latest union to threaten industrial action unless it receives immediate pay increases and working life improvements, writes Fiachra O Cionnaith, Political correspondent.
The high-profile group announced the move on Wednesday afternoon as its general secretary Liam Doran insisted the Lansdowne Road deal is no longer “tenable”.
Speaking as the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland continued to stand firm on industrial action which has closed hundreds of schools nationwide, as the Garda Representative Association agreed to suspend its planned strikes while a Government pay deal is examined and as SIPTU seeks widespread public pay talks, the INMO also demanded “accelerated restoration” of recession-hit salaries.
Despite insisting the issue is not a case of his group “jumping on the bandwagon” as the issues have been repeatedly raised in recent years, Mr Doran said the fact the nurses union has joined other groups in demanding pay deals means Lansdowne Road is no longer tenable.
Specifically, the INMO’s executive council voted today to ballot all INMO members later this month on what action to take to force through its demands, with the result of the ballot due on Thursday December 15.
Should the executive council decision be backed, nurses will:
* agree to immediate industrial action, which will begin as work-to-rule initiatives but include the possibility of escalated action
* seek an “accelerated restoration of cuts to pay and conditions required under Lansdowne Road”
* and force Government to put in place new plans to address recruitment and retention of staff issues
“Our patience has worn out, we are tired of empty promises to address this issue,” Mr Doran told a media briefing on Wednesday.
“There is no point in any Government, any minister or anyone in the HSE trying to wriggle out of this.
“If we have to then we will take beds out of the system.
“If they don’t expand the workforce then we will have to contract the system. There’s no other option,” he said.
Asked if the move is the result of the INMO taking advantage of last Thursday night’s Government deal with the GRA, Mr Doran said his group has “consistently raised” its concerns in recent years, adding:
“We are not jumping on the bandwagon.”
