NURSES HAVE voted by a margin of more than four to one in favour of taking industrial action against further pay cuts.
The Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO) said last night the mandate it obtained in the ballot would ensure it was fully involved with all public sector trade unions “in whatever level and duration of industrial action is necessary to defend our members from any further unilateral cuts in their pay and conditions of employment”.
Unions across the public sector are balloting members on possible participation in a national strike scheduled for November 24th in protest against threats to pay as part of Government plans to cut the public sector pay bill by around €1.3 billion next year.
The INO said it and other health sector trade unions would meet health service employers on Thursday to begin the process of agreeing contingency arrangements for this proposed day of action.
A number of other public sector unions, including those in the Civil Service and the teaching profession, are expected to announce the results of ballots on industrial action over the coming week or so.
INO general secretary Liam Doran said: “The strength of the mandate obtained today, at 85 per cent, confirms the depth of anger and concern amongst nurses and midwives with regard to the threat of further cuts on their pay and conditions.”
Separately, talks between Garda organisation representatives and the Government over plans to trim €100 million from the pay and overtime bill of An Garda Síochána were continuing yesterday, with representatives warning negotiations would be “difficult”. Garda Representative Association president Michael O’Boyce said it was too early to say if a deal could be reached, but said the €100 million reduction could be possible with a degree of flexibility and innovation. The GRA represents rank-and-file gardaí.
“By Wednesday or Thursday of this week it will be clear if a deal can be done or not,” Mr O’Boyce said.
“I think at this stage it would be completely premature to call it one way or the other.”
Mr O’Boyce said any reductions in pay or allowances agreed during the talks should be across the board.
He said the association felt the cuts agreed should be reversed from 2013, although it was not yet known if the Government viewed the measures as permanent.