The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has recommended for an immediate end to the 10-week long public health doctors' strike after accepting settlement terms today.
The organisation's strike committee has endorsed pay increases recommended by the Durcan adjudication board.
The Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, issued a brief statement this evening welcoming the move.
Doctors will be balloted on the proposals on July 4th and all 270 public health doctors are advised to return to work tomorrow.
Central to the recommendations are pay increases of 11 per cent for public health directors and specialists from July 1997 together with a 2 per cent increase from July 1999.
Area medical officers should receive a 8.5 per cent pay increase from July 1997, and a further 2 per cent increase from July 1999 was recommended.
The union said the back-to-work formula also addresses proposals from the Labour Relations Commission on steps required for the implementation of proposals from the Brennan review of public health services.
Fine Gael health spokeswoman, Ms Olivia Mitchell welcomed the move: "There were no winners in this corrosive dispute which dragged on for almost three months and caused damage to working relationships which may take a long time to heal."The important thing now is that the backlog of population protection measures such as vaccinations and immigrant screening is cleared so that public health is not jeopardised in the long run."
