THE IRISH Nurses’ Organisation (INO) has said the planned industrial action in protest at the introduction of pay cuts for public sector staff will be designed to maximise disruption.
In a bulletin to members, it said that it would aim to achieve such disruption without incurring any further loss of pay or income.
The memo would seem to indicate that the prospect of further strikes in protest at the cuts is receding among nurses at least.
The public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), which is co-ordinating the planned campaign of industrial action, is scheduled to meet again on Monday.
Details of the campaign are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
Informed sources said that this was likely to involve non-compliance with the Government’s reform plans for the public service as well as withdrawal from existing processes and a campaign of disruption.
Sources said that for example it could involve Customs staff stopping all passengers from a particular flight at an airport, a move that could cause considerable delays.
Meanwhile, in the bulletin posted on the INO’s website, its general secretary Liam Doran said the union was also seeking urgent legal advice on the Government’s legislation to allow for the pay cuts to come into effect.
“The purpose of this advice will be to determine whether any legal action can be taken to contest the standing of this new legislation for the purposes of having it set aside.
“We expect this legal advice within a matter of days and any legal action can only be initiated when its final format is known and the Bill becomes law,” Mr Doran said.
He added that the public service unions, in addition to the industrial and possible legal responses to the Government’s move to cut pay, were “also finalising other initiatives, under the headings of political and communications which will also form part of a comprehensive response, by all public sector unions, to the draconian and disgraceful actions of the Government”.
He said full details of the campaign would be issued before Christmas.