Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NI nurses vote to strike for 1st time in 100yrs
NORTHERN Ireland nurses have voted to go on strike in a row over pay and staffing levels, it emerged yesterday.
And it is the first time the Royal College of Nursing has opted to walk out in 103 years.
Nurses voted to down tools just a day after it was announced health service workers in the Nipsa union also plan to take strike action.
No firm date has been set but it is expected the medical staff could walk out early next month.
RCN NI director Pat Cullen said nurses are no longer willing to see patients being denied health care services to which they are entitled.
She added: “The 3,000 nursing vacancies are having a detrimental impact upon patient care and adding enormous pressure to the nursing workforce.
“Nurses’ pay in Northern Ireland has fallen significantly behind the rest of the UK.
“Not only is this completely unfair but it sends a strong message to nurses that they are not valued or respected by decisionmakers and employers.
“If we continue to treat nurses in this way, the health and social care system will move rapidly from crisis to collapse.”
The Unison union has challenged claims that introducing “pay parity” with Britain, where health workers are paid more than their NI colleagues, would cost £100million.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said it will hold further detailed discussions with unions. It added: “With an NI public sector pay policy in place for 2019/2020, we plan to table a formal pay offer as soon as possible.”