Industrial action threatened by 300 anaesthetists has been deferred following an invitation from the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to talks.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which represents over 5,200 doctors and consultants, announced today that anaesthetists would defer a planned eight-day programme of industrial action agreed upon last December.
Director of Industrial Relations, Mr Fintan Hourihan said: "In the interest of patient care, we would hope that the need for industrial action will be obviated. We would certainly only be resorting to full-scale industrial action as a last resort."
The IMO say the non-consultant hospital anaesthetists work an average of 84 hours per week and that an agreement signed with the Health Service Employers Agency in May, 2000 is being deliberately reinterpreted by employers.
They say attempts to make economies in hospitals have led to "unsafe working patterns" being operated.
"Doctors working at three o'clock in the morning are being paid the same as doctors working at three o'clock in the afternoon," Mr hourihan said.
The Irish Medical Organisation balloted NCHD anaesthetists in December last. The ballot result was an overwhelming majority (over 90%) in favour of industrial action.
- Ambulance operators in the North East have also deferred industrial action due to begin next Monday.
SIPTU Meath Branch Secretary, Mr John Regan said the North Eastern Health Board have refused to discuss the elimination of on-call payments but that following the intervention of the LRC, the union members would put a stay on their action.
"Our members are frustrated at the way in which management have dealt with this case but in the interests of the good industrial relations we have agreed to the deferral of the dispute."