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2006

Nursing unions serve notice of industrial action

Date Released: 16 Sep 2006

The Psychiatric Nurses' Association and SIPTU Nursing have served three weeks’ notice of their intention to take industrial action over the failure of the authorities in the health service to provide a compensation scheme for psychiatric nurses assaulted at work in line with the recommendations of a joint employer-union task force.

The decision follows ballots of psychiatric nurses in the two organisations - which resulted in an overwhelming majority (with ratios of over ten-to-one  in each case) in favour of industrial action. The respective Executive Committees in each organisation will meet shortly to decide how the action – which could include withdrawal of services – should be implemented.

The Department of Health and Children and the Health Services Executive Employers’ Agency had promised to brief the unions on their proposals for the scheme in July – following an intervention by the Labour Relations Commission. However, on despite two attempts, management were not in a position to provide a proper briefing. In view of the failure by management to honour their previous undertakings, the unions decided to ballot their members on the issue.

“It is appalling that nurses have been put in this position,” said PNA Industrial Relations Officer, Seamus Murphy. “The Government and the employer have broken numerous promises both with regard to the implementation of the Task Force Recommendations and with regard to subsequent undertakings at the Labour Relations Commission. If the shoe was on the other foot and nurses had broken agreements, an immediate penalty would be imposed of having national pay rises withheld”.

SIPTU National Nursing Official, Miriam McCluskey, added: “There are consequences when any party reneges on an agreement – particularly an agreement reached under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission.  No union can tolerate an employer acting in this manner.  This is about how we do our business. Good industrial relations practice applies to the employer as well to our members.  It is regrettable that our members have had to ballot for industrial action to ensure that their employer complies with recognised good practice.”





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