THE nursing unions are to ballot their members on a new pay made it clear last night that they would be urging their members to reject it.
The surprise move came after 8 1/2 hours of talks at the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board last night. Originally it had been expected the talks would break down without any offer being put on the table and the unions would move immediately to a ballot on industrial action by their 26,000 members.
As a result of the union's decision to ballot members on the new offer, strike action, originally expected to take place in March, will now almost certainly be deferred until April.
Although the new offer effectively doubles the value of the original one made by public health managers, from £10 million to £20 million, it will only add £150 a year to the salary of nurses at the top of the scale with 15 years of service.
The new offer also involves the withdrawal of an earlier increase of £100 a year proposed for staff nurses with shorter service.
Under the new offer, staff nurses with at least 15 years could expect to receive an increase of £500 this June and a further £500 in June, 1997, bringing their maximum salary to £19,207.
After the talks, Mr Liam Doran, the deputy general secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation, the largest nursing union, said: "The offer falls considerably short of what we are seeking, which is £20,000 plus. Proposals will be put to our members, with a recommendation from all four unions for rejection.
A spokesman for the negotiators, Mr Gerard Barry, said a major problem in the negotiations had been to get the unions to state clearly their priorities. He said it would cost over £100 million to meet their original claim. Even to meet their claim for £20,000 for staff nurses would cost £25 million.
Later the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, expressed disappointment that the unions were recommending rejection of the proposals. He added that the £20 million package was a significant increase in the level of resources available and would mean a phased pay increase of over 7 per cent for staff nurses at the top of the scale.
About 50 per cent of staff nurses could expect to be at the top of the new scale within two years. There are also significant increases proposed for nurses in higher grades. For instance, public health nurses who receive three increases of £400 each, bringing them to £22,602 by June, 1997, and ward would receive four increases £400 each, bringing them £22,166 by June, 1997. Matrons would receive increases that would bring their maximum salary from £28,000 to £35,000 by June, 1997.
The nursing unions are to meet today to discuss a timetable for holding meetings to explain the new offer. Mr Doran said the ballot would take two to three weeks to complete.
The union leaders were confident the new offer would be rejected. Mr Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses' Association of Ireland, said: "The offer is so marginally above what was on the table before that it will just infuriate the members."
Mr Peter McLoone, general secretary designate of IMPACT, said: "They have indicated to us our objective is not obtainable in these negotiations."