Nurses owed back money

The failure to issue backpay to nurses, including money due in pay rises, was‘ totally inexcusable’.

That’s according to Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady who made a plea for pay owed to nurses to be paid. Cllr O’Grady, a retired nurse made the remarks during a discussion on Covid-19.

Asking that the council writes to the Minister for Health Simon Harris to request that all back payments due to nurses, including those from the first phase of the strike of February 2019, be issued without any further delay, Cllr O’Grady acknowledged the ‘enormous contribution’ made by all hospital staff during the course of the pandemic.

This year, Cllr O’Grady explained, was the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife and May 12 th was the 200 th birthday of Florence Nightingale.

“In the last 20 years, there’s been a high emphasis on the economy and on generating wealth,” Cllr O’Grady said.

“What this crisis has shown is that the recruitment embargo over recent years has left the nursing staffing levels in the health service in a depleted state, with many staffing deficiencies even before the pandemic hit.

“Staffing levels are facing a cliff edge in the weeks and months ahead with a potential shortfall of 1500 personnel.”

Referring to the nurses and midwives as the ‘ backbone’ of every health service, Cllr O’Grady called on those at national level to ensure that nurses and midwives ‘were respected and fairly recognised for the enormous contribution they make every day in their professional lives.’

Cllr O’Grady continued: “For many members, payment of the first phase of the strike of February 2019 settlement is still outstanding.

“This is an unacceptable delay at all levels ranging from the Minister of Health to individual payroll departments. Many have paid, but others are delaying payments.

“Nurses and midwives are to the fore of the fight against Covid-19.

“While they are taking risks on the frontline they are being shortchanged by many employers.

“This is totally inexcusable. When pay was docked during the strike, it was done instantly, but a pay-rise is done at a different pace.”

Cllr O’Grady concluded by praising the efforts of all hospital workers at this time, and said that this pandemic “has truly shown who the real celebrities are”.