A very high turnout is being reported in the nurses' ballot on pay, with strong indications that the Labour Court award will be overwhelmingly rejected. The general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses' Association, Mr Des Kavanagh, said that the returns for his union so far indicated rejection percentages "in the high nineties".
All four nursing unions are to count the votes tomorrow. The largest union, the Irish Nurses' Organisation, is keeping its headquarters in Dublin open from 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. today in order to facilitate members who have not yet voted. Its general secretary, Mr Liam Doran, said that any settlement must include "additional financial provision and annual leave for staff nurses", as well as a better package for management grades. The proposal for nurse managers to report to general managers in the hospitals had become an important non-pay issue and was "deeply resented".
The majority for rejection of the £100 million award is expected to be highest in Dublin, where nurses are expected to use the opportunity to express their anger at other non-pay issues, such as stress and the high cost of accommodation. Although the number of nurses employed in the public health service has now reached an all-time high at 28,000, there is still a chronic shortage in the capital.
The Health Service Employers' Agency confirmed yesterday that there are 550 vacancies in the greater Dublin region, most of them in the major acute hospitals. Worst affected is the Mater, with over 100 vacancies and 68 beds closed. Poor access by public transport and lack of parking are cited as reasons for its failure to attract and hold staff.
Next come Beaumont Hospital and St Vincent's, with 95 vacancies and 60 respectively. In contrast, Tallaght has fewer than 40 vacancies and has had no bed closures. This may be partly because of its location on the periphery of the city.
The HSEA rejects union arguments that low pay is the main cause of shortages. It said there was no significant shortage outside Dublin and pointed out that applications for training places were up 40 per cent this year. The agency also said there was a net inflow of 550 nurses last year.
If the four nursing unions find their members have balloted overwhelmingly to reject the Labour Court award tomorrow, they are expected to begin a new ballot for industrial action almost immediately.