Nurses and midwives are to step up their campaign for better pay and conditions next month by holding a mass rally in Dublin. They are protesting against what they claim is the "blackguarding" of nurses by the HSE, at the rally on November 22nd at the Helix in Dublin City University.
The two main nursing unions, the Irish Nursing Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), are accusing the HSE of stalling on their pay claim which is before the Labour Court.
The unions are also seeking a 35-hour working week. A previous rally was held in June and was attended by 1,500 nurses and midwives, a week in advance of the submission of eight claims by the two unions at the Labour Court.
Among these was a claim for a 35-hour working week for all nurses and midwives and the elimination of the anomaly by which qualified and unqualified childcare workers are paid more than nurses for the first 21 years of their career.
The two unions have also opted out of the benchmarking process, saying it "cannot address the legitimate concerns" of their members. This latest move has been forced on them as, they say, the HSE has failed to reply to requests from the Labour Court for clarification of its position on a number of issues.
The Labour Court has been unable to make recommendations on the nurses' claims since the hearing in June.
"The officers of both the INO and PNA were furious when they learned that the reason for this delay was the failure of the HSE to reply to a letter seeking clarification issued by the court on 28th August," said Dave Hughes, the INO's deputy general secretary.
Liam Doran, INO general secretary, said the Government needed to be "very conscious of the fact that 40,000 nurses and midwives and their families will be very angry if this is not sorted out and sorted out quickly".
"They have opposed vehemently, and stalled and delayed on giving that 35-hour working week to nurses."
He said the INO/PNA were determined that nurses and midwives achieve a reduction in the working week "which would bring them into line with all other professionals working in the Irish health service. Both unions note that the Labour Court, as far back as 1990, has recommended that they should get priority in this regard".
A HSE spokeswoman said that when the Labour Court sought submissions from it, it made it clear the issues raised were "quite complex and that it would take some time to go back and gather the accurate information.
"Having said that the HSE has furnished a detailed response in the past week so we absolutely refute the accusation that we have held up the process".
