THE nursing unions are to press ahead with rallies next week in pursuit of a better pay deal for their 26,000 members.
The Department of Health had hoped that the nurses might call off their campaign after a possible new formula for talks was put to them through the ICTU yesterday.
It is understood that the unions were offered renewed talks on the basis that a definite deadline would be fixed for their conclusion and that an independent third party could resolve outstanding issues.
A major sticking point for the unions, besides pay, is that they want a commitment from the Government on extra money for further restructuring after expiry of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW) next December.
No commitment was forthcoming on this. The Government line is that such an arrangement would undermine the entire PCW process. As if to underline this, the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, declared earlier in the day, at a meeting of the National Economic and Social Council, that the State needed a new national agreement if it was to sustain growth and job creation.
The nursing unions are due to meet the ICTU again next Thursday to review the situation.