THE Irish Congress of Trade Unions is expected to meet the nursing unions later this week, in an effort break the deadlock in pay talks that threaten health services throughout the Republic.
The Nursing Alliance warned the Government yesterday that its constituent unions plan a series of two day strikes at hospitals and health centres this spring if there is no significant improvement in the current offer on pay and career structures.
Meanwhile the unions are holding a series of meetings which will culminate in a Dublin rally on Budget Day. A strike ballot of nurses will follow and the major Dublin hospitals are targeted for industrial action in March.
The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, issued a statement shortly after the Nursing Alliance issued its warning at a Dublin press conference. He urged a resumption of negotiations but said that "any resolution must be in the context of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work".
The unions have repeatedly said that the issues, which have accumulated over 15 year of "neglect of nurses and nursing cannot be dealt with solely under the PCW. They will only conclude an agreement under the PCW if they are given firm commitments that further pay rises will be available for restructuring after the PCW expires in December.
A spokesman for management said yesterday that "the sheer enormity of the unions' claim has made for difficult negotiations". He put the annual extra cost of the claim at over £100 million.
However, the unions believe that if they concede the sort of productivity management wants under the PCW, their members will be left irretrievably behind other public sector workers, such as teachers, in the wages stakes.
The ICTU, executive is concerned at the implications a nursing dispute could have on the PCW and future national pay agreements. Assistant general secretary, Mr Kevin Duffy is expected to meet the nursing unions later this week.
Nursing union leaders made it clear at the press conference in Dublin yesterday that their members are prepared to take widespread industrial action.
Mr Peter McLone, general secretary designate of IMPACT, which represents non nursing health workers, said that the unions "have exhausted all the negotiating options open to us
Mr Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses' Association, said "It would be a very foolish Government which would not realise how determined we are".
Mr P.J. Madden, general secretary of the largest nursing union, the Irish Nurses' Organisation, read out an agreed statement on behalf of the alliance, stating that they had come together because of "years of neglect of nurses and nursing"
The Irish Matrons' Association, the professional body representing nurse managers issued a statement last night supporting the "campaign for, justice" launched by the nursing unions yesterday.