MORE than 5,000 paramedics are expected to press for similar increases to nurses' if the nursing unions accept the latest £80 million offer from the Government.
Paramedics include physiotherapists, radiographers, laboratory technicians and social workers. Other public service workers are thought less likely to present "knock on" claims. The Labour Court proposals have been carefully crafted to prevent such a scenario.
However, it is far from certain that the 27,000 nurses in the public health services will accept the Labour Court proposals. While their unions have deferred today's strike for two weeks to allow members to ballot on the new proposals, none of the four nursing unions has recommended them.
Normal services are expected to resume in most hospitals and health board centres this morning. The Government has welcomed the decision to defer industrial action.
In an effort to ensure that nurses vote to accept the new settlement proposals in their third ballot on restructuring within the health services, the Government has pledged itself to set up a "wide ranging" commission which will look at their working conditions, training and career "structure as soon as possible.
Last night the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, described the commission as "an essential component of the package". He said initial discussions with unions on to establishment would begin this week and the commission would present an interim report within six months.
While the Minister would not comment on its agenda, management sources said items which were not addressed by the Labour Court such as pay differentials for ward sisters and nurse managers, could be made priorities bye the commission. Mr Noonan said the Government would also notify the pensions commission of its concern that the issue of early retirement for nurses be treated as a matter of urgency.
The comparatively modest improvements in the early retirement package, coupled with the failure of ward sisters and nurse managers to win any increases under the Labour Court recommendation, are probably the two issues that might persuade nurses to reject the new proposals.
Although nursing unions have not recommended acceptance of the recommendations, all of their spokespersons have acknowledged that it represents a "significant improvement" on the previous £50 million offer.
SIPTU took the lead in averting immediate strike action. Its nursing council decided to defer action on Saturday and advised all members to report for work as normal today. Though that initiative attracted criticism at regional meetings of the INO yesterday, it ensured that the Labour Court recommendation and the proposal of a nursing commission, would receive serious consideration by other nursing unions over the weekend.
The idea of proposing a commission originated with the SIPTU nursing officer, Mr Noel Dowling, and has been advocated strongly by the general secretary, Mr Billy Attley. Yesterday Mr Dowling said there was an obligation on the unions to make priorities of issues to be dealt with by the commission.
The president of the INO, Ms Anne Cody, said last night she was hopeful the improvements offered by the Labour Court would he taken on board by the members. The senior IMPACT nursing official, Ms Christina Carney, said the nursing commission would ensure for the first time that major issues concerning nurses would be addressed.