STRIKE ACTION proposed for Sligo General Hospital today has been deferred after unions at the facility reached an agreement with the Health Service Executive (HSE) at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) last night.
Members of the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and Siptu had threatened to strike today to highlight dangers posed to patients by unsafe staffing levels.
The dispute centres on proposed bed closures and the non-renewal of 19 temporary nursing contracts at the hospital.
In a statement, the INO said it and Siptu were involved in negotiations with the HSE at the Labour Relations Commission yesterday, but that no resolution had been reached.
It said, that following a meeting, the unions agreed to a LRC recommendation that the matter be urgently referred to the Labour Court.
“The grievances of our members in respect of safe staffing levels in Sligo general remain very clear,” INO industrial relations officer Noel Treanor said.
“We are committed to seeking a resolution to this dispute which ensures the best possible care for patients attending the hospital.
“The HSE have committed to retain all members currently on temporary contracts and not to institute any further changes, pending a recommendation,” Mr Treanor added.
The Labour Court is expected to inform the unions and the HSE of a date for the hearing later today.
On Friday, the unions staged a one-day strike at the hospital, which saw some 240 nurses picketing the main entrances to the hospital. About 170 staff, including 58 consultants, doctors and other non-nursing staff, provided cover on the wards.
The HSE accused the nurses of being “reckless” and of putting the lives of 180 patients, some 100 of whom were “high dependency”, at risk by refusing to provide cover.
Management said in a bid to avert the strike it had made a “final offer” last Wednesday which would have involved the re-employment of some of the temporary staff but this had been rejected by the unions.
