Up to 40,000 nurses who have been engaged in a work-to-rule for more than four weeks face having about 13 per cent of their pay deducted under proposals to be considered by health service management on Tuesday.
The Irish Timesunderstands that the withdrawal of pay increases of 13.5 per cent granted under the Sustaining Progress national agreement is one of the main options set out in a paper to be considered by the head of the Health Service Executive (HSE), Prof Brendan Drumm.
Informed sources said draft letters instructing regional managers to begin "docking" pay from members of the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA) had already been drawn up in advance of the decision by Prof Drumm on the plan.
It is understood that health service management argue in the paper that these pay increases were granted in return for co-operation by staff with technology and other reforms.
As part of the work-to-rule nurses have been refusing to answer non-essential telephone calls or carry out clerical, administrative or IT duties.
It is understood that other options set out in the paper would involve the HSE seeking to calculate the cost of work not being carried out and deducting pay accordingly, or trying to recoup the estimated €2 million weekly cost of the action directly from nurses.
However, sources said management was expected to concentrate on the proposal to withdraw the Sustaining Progress pay rises.
A spokeswoman for the HSE said that it was "actively considering" the "docking" of the pay of nurses who were engaged in the work -to-rule. In a statement last night, the Department of Health said the HSE had warned that it may have to make deductions from nurses' pay.
It is understood that if Prof Drumm accepts the proposals on Tuesday, nurses would be given one week to end the work-to-rule, before the pay deductions would come into force. Nurses already stand to have pay deducted for work stoppages in support of their demands for the introduction of a 35-hour week and a 10.6 per cent pay increase.
INO general secretary Liam Doran said last night that any move to deduct pay from nurses would lead to an immediate change in the tone and tenor of the dispute. He said it would end all goodwill between nurses and management and "open a sore that would not heal for a long time".
The INO and PNA unions said about 5,000 nurses and midwives took part in hour-long work stoppages at a number of hospitals around the country yesterday.
The campaign is to escalate next week with a series of two- and three-hour stoppages planned. The industrial action will be reviewed by the INO at a special conference on Thursday where a further escalation, including an overtime ban, may be considered.
Nurses yesterday also protested outside a press conference attended by Minister for Health Mary Harney to launch the Progressive Democrats' election proposals on healthcare. Ms Harney said patients could be put at risk as a result of the dispute. She said the cancellation of hospital procedures was "very unfair".
The PNA's Des Kavanagh said the dispute could have electoral consequences. Mr Doran said the key issue was the provision of a date for the introduction of the 35-hour week. He said that following the recent talks there was a greater understanding between the parties on the pay issue.