Nurses at University Hospital Limerick ICU to be balloted on industrial action

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) is to ballot its members in the intensive care unit at University Hospital Limerick after failing to reach an agreement with management on a plan to provide what the union regards as a safe working environment.

It is the first of such vote to be announced by the INMO after a period of nationwide consultations with its membership and a subsequent round of talks with the managements of a number of hospitals and other facilities.

The union’s general secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said last month that action “up to and including up the withdrawal of labour” would be on the table if staff did not receive assurances regarding the improvements they were seeking.

[ Nursing union authorises ballots for industrial action over ‘unsafe staffing’ ]

In a statement on Monday, the union’s assistant director of Industrial Relations, Mary Fogarty said that “after exhausting negotiations at local level, the INMO has been mandated by members to commence a ballot for industrial action in the Intensive Care Unit in University Hospital Limerick”.

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“The issues that exist in University Hospital Limerick have been well documented by this union. The lack of consistent safe staffing in the intensive care unit is having a detrimental impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of our members working in this unit and their patients.

“Hospital management have failed to provide an appropriate contingency plan to address the nurse deficits in the ICU and the enablement of outstanding annual leave, time off In Lieu to be taken and/or paid to nurses as requested.”

A ballot is due to take place over the coming weeks and the union will notify hospital management of the outcome afterwards.