Nurses strike to proceed after 'insulting' offer to attend fresh talks

The INMO has described as "insulting" last minute effort by the Government to get the nurses union to sit down to talks and has confirmed that tomorrow’s strike will proceed.
 
The INMO’s second day of strike action begins tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8am, with busy picket lines expected until 4pm across the country including Our Lady's Hospital, Navan.
 
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said:
 
“This is spin masquerading as substance. Government by press release is unfair and confusing to patients and insulting to nurses and midwives on the picket lines.
 
“Recycling broken promises is no way to build good-faith negotiations. The government’s press release refers to non-pay issues which are already agreed since 2017.
 
“The INMO previously referred the government to the Workplace Relations Commission to try and find a solution to this dispute, but the government failed to engage or make any proposals. Talks at the Labour Court sadly produced similar results.
 
“We have identified excessive costs and wastage in the HSE, which could be used to address the pay issues at the heart of the recruitment and retention crisis. But the government simply will not listen.”
 
Costs identified by the INMO which would be cut if more nurses and midwives could be attracted to work in the public health service include:
over €100m spent in 2018 on agency nurses, used to fill gaps left by vacant posts;
€10,000 - €20,000 spent per nurse or midwife recruited by overseas agencies;
reduced durations of stay for patients associated with safer staffing levels.
 
The INMO said that none of these savings are included in the government’s €300m cost estimate, which would automatically be reduced by 30%-40% due to income taxes.

A statement has been released on behalf of Minister for Health Simon Harris and Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe with regards to the nurses' strike due to take place on Tuesday 5 February.

The statement expressed "disappointment" that further strike action is scheduled to take place.

It read: "The government has always listened to the concerns expressed by nurses in relation to working conditions and job satisfaction as well as the patient experience."