Intervention sought on maintaining nursing levels

The Labour Relations Commission will be asked today to intervene to facilitate an agreement between nursing unions and health service management on maintaining essential services in the event that the threatened industrial dispute by nurses goes ahead at the end of the month.

No agreement was reached on the provision of emergency cover at a meeting between the Irish Nurses' Organisation, the Psychiatric Nurses' Association and the Health Service Executive last night.

The nursing unions have asked management to identify the level of nursing cover which will be available in hospitals from staff not participating in the dispute.

Unions sources said last night that this had not been provided.

The unions say they will only provide emergency cover during the planned dispute if this is paid for by management.

Health service management is also expected to ask the Labour Relations Commission to try to facilitate an agreement on the level of notice to be provided by the unions on the nature and extent of any industrial action to take place.

The nursing unions have said that there will be no further formal notice provided to management regarding the planned rolling work stoppages at the end of a 21-day period of notice for industrial action. This is due to expire at the end of next week.

A spokesman for the Health Service Executive (HSE) said last night that it was unable to find out what format the industrial action would take, when it was going to occur or what particular hospitals would be affected.

The unions are prepared to provide emergency cover in circumstances where its absence could endanger life and in response to unforeseen events such as major accidents. They are also prepared to provide essential services on humanitarian grounds.

The HSE has said that in hospital facilities such as intensive care units, coronary care units and A&E departments it would need virtually a full regular staff.

The nurses are seeking a 10 per cent pay increase, the introduction of a 35- hour week and a special allowance for those working in Dublin.

The Taoiseach said last week that the demands being made by the nursing unions could cost up to €1 billion.

It is understood that so far there have been no substantive negotiations between the parties.