PSYCHIATRIC NURSES TO INTENSIFY STRIKE

PSYCHIATRIC nurses in Kerry are today ( Wednesday) bracing themselves to intensify their industrial action because of what their union says is an unacceptable delay by he government in reinstating nurses’ annual community allowance.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association national executive council says that while the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has agreed in principle to reinstate the annual allowance of €5449 - and that Minister Paschal Donoghue is to make a decision to sign off on it in the first week of September - the delay is ‘unacceptable’

“The Minister may equally decide not to sign off on it and this was unacceptable to the NEC,” explained PNA representative for Kerry, Cormac Williams. “We have advised management that unless the Minister has reviewed, signed off and has issued a date for implementation of the community allowance by Wednesday, August 17, the PNA will be moving to Phase 3 of industrial action from that date and this includes a ban on overtime and working time in lieu.”

Phase three of their action includes not supplying projected rosters, not swapping days to facilitate rosters, not working additional hours for overtime or time in lieu, not accepting calls to personal mobiles from work and not deferring holidays to facilitate rosters.

Mr Williams added that another outstanding issue is the payment of an incremental credit to nurses who graduated from 2011 to 2015 in respect of their placement. As of yet there has been no agreement on this issue.

“The PNA has already met with the INMO and has agreed a joint strategy to have the increment paid, which will include a march on the Dáil on September 29 when TDs arrive back from the summer recess.