CRISIS DEEPENS AS NEW STRIKE DAYS ARE SET

GOVERNMENT sources said last night that they believe there is very little chance of an early resolution of the nurses’ strike as the unions are ‘upping the ante’.

Seven more days of strike action have now been scheduled, including two next week. Health Minister Simon Harris, right, says the dispute would only be solved in the Labour Court – and the two sides appear to be a long way from any such hearing.

‘We don’t have €300m a year in pay for nurses and that’s what it would cost. Just 50 days from Brexit, when we could be borrowing just to save jobs, we’re not going borrowing for pay rises,’ a senior Government source told the MoS.

‘They are really upping the ante this weekend. They’re scheduling more strikes. But worse than that, they’re deciding they are not going to co-operate with contingency planning. That will affect the GP out-of-hours, so that will send more people to A&E.’

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation last night announced additional strike dates, saying it is ‘in the face of the government’s refusal to meaningfully engage’. This week’s was the first official 24-hour strike action by nurses in 20 years. As the Government held firm on the line that it cannot afford to give nurses a 12% increase in pay, talks failed, thousands took to the picket lines and thousands of appointments were cancelled. But it’s not over yet. The crisis is set to continue, and on the cards for this week, and looking beyond are at least seven more days of strikes.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

The nurses will go on their second official day of strike action, with the number of services affected rising from 82 to 240. The HSE has warned that it expects all out-patient, in-patient and day surgery to be cancelled. In addition to this, the HSE said it also expects injury units to be closed and routine community services and health-centre nurse clinics to be cancelled. Planned admissions to respite and rehabilitation services, community nursing appointments and specified centres for people with intellectual disabilities will be closed, as will public day centres and day hospitals for older people and people with disabilities.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7

240 services will continue to be affected on the third day of strike action.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) will hold a national rally.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12

Fourth day of 24-hour strike action with continued disruption expected across the health services.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Fifth day of 24-hour strike action.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Sixth day of 24-hour strike action will continue to disrupt 240 services. Following a meeting of the executive of the INMO yesterday, the union announced it would hold two additional strike days, in a serious escalation of industrial action after what they described as ‘the Government’s refusal to meaningfully engage with the union’.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Seventh day of 24-hour strike action.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21

The eighth day of 24-hour strike action.