SIPTU welcomes decision to pay graduate nurses incremental credit

SIPTU nursing representatives, and their colleagues from the two other nursing unions, met with the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, today (Thursday, 13th October), as part of their campaign to highlight the injustice of the non-payment of incremental credit to nurses who graduated between 2011 and 2015. SIPTU Nursing and Midwifery Sector Organiser, Kevin Figgis, said: “At this meeting, which included representatives of the three nursing unions, the Minister committed to restoring the incremental credit from 1st January, 2017. “We welcome this decision as it finally concludes the agreement reached between the three nursing unions, the HSE and the Department of Health that restored incremental credit for the 36 week Nursing Internship for those who graduated from 2011 onwards.”  SIPTU Organiser, John McCamley, said: “This decision comes at the end of a long campaign to end this pay injustice and the two tier pay system that had developed and was having a detrimental effect on recruiting and retaining nurses. This is a small step in recognising the vital contribution that these nurses have made to our public health service.”