Nurses fight for every extra cent

Sir — Gene Kerrigan (Sunday Independent, February 10) states that while executives flaunt their inflated pay, people who work hard are given excuses about “knock-on effects’’ if they look for an increase in salary and conditions, like the nurses in recent weeks.

In a game of rugby, a knockon is penalised by an impartial referee and a penalty is given against the offending team. It appears in this case the referee was on a day-off, or arrived pitch side without his whistle.

Mr Kerrigan went on to say that all around us professionals present unchallenged bills and are paid top rates as a birthright. When they screw up, as they often do, they’re paid off and their replacements are paid even more to clear up the mess.

As with the children’s hospital. Nurses and others must argue for every extra cent they earn. Bankers, builders, politicians and other professionals should not have free rein when it comes to salaries, bonuses and unchallenged expenses, while the coping classes who get up early in the morning have to march the streets to get an improved deal. Tom Towey, Cloonacool, Co Sligo