Nurses in ‘utter despair’ warn of a strike vote for better pay

NURSES are threatening to strike unless they get better pay.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s annual conference in Cork saw delegates vote in favour of balloting members on industrial action, if their conditions are not improved.

The move comes in advance of a review of recruitment and staffing in nursing by the Public Service Pay Commission next month.

If the outcome of the review is rejected by members, union officials will ballot for industrial action up to and including strike action.

INMO First Vice-President Mary Leahy told delegates at the conference that nurses have ‘faced utter despair and demoralisation, chaos and burn-out for in excess of ten years’.

She said: ‘The moratorium of nursing and midwives recruitment has been the most destructive and crude instrument ever to have been visited on our profession and the public health service.

‘Severe long-term damage was inflicted, yet nobody has ever been held accountable – politician or employer.’

She also spoke of a ‘complete lack of trust’ between the INMO and employers. And she warned: ‘We know the road that needs to be taken and we will take it without hesitation.’

Second Vice-President Margaret Frahill said: ‘We are the lowest paid professional grade in the entire health service. That is an absolute disgrace.’

And after a survey revealed earlier this week that more than 70% of student nurses want to leave Ireland, she added: ‘If our pay issues are not addressed, there will be no Irish nurses working in the profession.’

She received applause from the 300 or so delegates in the room.