Members of the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA) have voted by a narrow margin in favour of proposals put forward last month to settle the long-running nurses' dispute.
Some 53 per cent of members voted in favour and 47 per cent voted against. The result of the ballot was announced yesterday evening.
Over 5,000 members of the union were eligible to vote and the turnout was 61 per cent.
More than 31,000 members of the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) were balloted separately on the settlement proposals two weeks ago. Some 54 per cent of this group voted in favour and 46 per cent against.
The PNA ballot effectively brought an end to the seven and a half week old nurses' dispute by the PNA and the INO as the PNA had indicated that it would not battle on alone for improved pay conditions and a shorter working week for nurses, even if its members voted against the settlement proposals. The nurses were seeking a 10.6 per cent pay increase and a 35-hour working week. At present, they work a 39-hour week.
Under the settlement proposals, nurses will see their working week cut to 37.5 hours by June next year, a commission will be set up to establish whether nurses' hours can be reduced to 35 hours a week and the claim for a 10.6 per cent pay rise will be progressed through benchmarking.
Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the PNA, said that the outcome of the ballot of his members was closer than expected.
He said that the benchmarking group would be meeting both unions next Monday for preliminary discussions and work was ongoing behind the scenes on the setting up of the commission to look at a further reduction in nurses' hours. In voting for the settlement proposals, members of both unions have also voted to accept Towards 2016 and they have now been approved for an immediate 5 per cent increase under its terms.