Unions and representative bodies for public service staff who work on an around-the-clock basis are to meet on Friday as concern grows about Government proposals to reduce premium payments.
General secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Liam Doran said the convening of the special meeting of the 24/7 alliance reflected growing unease at constant references to the position of premium payments for work carried out in the evening, at weekends or at night-time as part of the talks on an extension to the Croke Park agreement.
The meeting on Friday will be attended by unions and organisations representing nurses, gardaí and prison officers.
Mr Doran said the meeting would examine how to deal with the situation and protect members’ income.
Separately the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and Psychiatric Nurses’ Association are to hold a protest outside the headquarters of the Health Service Executive in Dublin on Friday over the introduction of a graduate programme that would see staff paid 80 per cent of the existing rate.
The two organisations called again on the HSE and the Department of Health to suspend the proposed programme .
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