Nurses give ‘absolute guarantee’ to provide emergency cover

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Written by Brenda Carney

Wednesday, 21 February 2007

Nurses have given an “absolute guarantee” that emergency cover will be provided if the work stoppage goes ahead as planned next month.

The INO and the PNA confirmed that if there was the need to put a major accident plan into place, the industrial action would be suspended.

According to the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association, the campaign for a 35-hour-week and better pay for nurses and midwives is designed to make sure “services, where interruption or cessation would endanger life, will be protected, that the life and dignity of all patients will not be put at risk, that they would ensure their members have the ability to respond to unforeseen emergencies and the provision of essential services on humanitarian grounds”.

After a meeting in the Labour Relations Commission, it was decided that the emergency cover would be provided “on the basis that the members exempted from the action to provide this cover, will be paid”.

The INO and the PNA confirmed that if there was the need to put a major accident plan into place, the industrial action would be suspended. They also confirmed that they will notify health service employers before the campaign starts so contingency plans can be put into place in good time.

INO General Secretary, Liam Doran said, “The INO and PNA will always recognise and fulfil their obligations to patients who need essential nursing care throughout this campaign of action if it commences.

“Management’s failure to meet and discuss the issues causing this dispute represents a complete abdication of their duties at this difficult time. It is completely illogical that management would focus only on managing a dispute rather than maintaining industrial peace.

“The INO and PNA are again calling for immediate discussions, on the major grievances felt by our 40,000 plus nurse and midwife members across the country.

“In calling for these discussions we will come to the table with an agenda for reform in return for making progress on our claims some of which have been outstanding for over 27 years.”

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