Time is running out for Gov to get act together on nurses’ pay
Reacting to news that nurses are to go on strike for 24 hours on January 30th, Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has called on Ministers Harris and Donohoe to bring a credible proposal to the table on pay equality.
Deputy Kelly said:
“The decision by the INMO to go on strike is not one taken lightly and I and my Labour Party colleagues fully support them in their fight for pay equality.
“Time and time again, the Government gave ignored the plight of new entrants nurses. It is no wonder that so many of them have emigrated to places where they can get better pay and conditions.
“For months union representatives have been outlining the concerns nursing staff have around pay and overcrowding and the Government has done very little to alleviate these concerns.
“Month on month, the trolley crisis is continuing to get worse. The more people that are on trolleys, the more chaotic and unsafe working conditions become for staff.
“With so much negative commentary and anecdotal evidence of how difficult it is to be a nurse in Ireland, it is no wonder that the HSE are finding it so difficult to attract staff to the profession.
“How many times have we heard the Government say that they will address the concerns of nurses but without addressing the issues around pay equality?
“The Minister for Health and the Minister for Finance need to show some cop on and take on board what the members of the INMO want. Nurses are the backbone of the medical profession and they aren’t coming from a place of greed with their demands.
“I have been making the case on behalf of the Labour Party for months and we are clear, the emergency is over, it is time to end the two-tier pay system across the public service.
“With 3 weeks to go until the INMO strike is to take place, the Government needs to sit down and come up with a solution.”