Theatre nurses at three mid-western hospitals are to take industrial action from next Monday in pursuit of a pay claim. But IMPACT and the Western Health Board have described as "constructive" their resumed talks yesterday on threatened jobs cuts.
About 80 nurses will take part in the work-to-rule from 8 a.m. on Monday at the Mid-West Regional Hospital, Limerick, and the general hospitals in Nenagh and Ennis. Protests will also be staged at the hospitals by the two unions involved, the Irish Nurses' Organisation and SIPTU. Patient care is not expected to be affected.
The nurses are seeking an increase in pay for hours spent on call, from the current nightly rate of €17 to €76 on week nights and €90 at weekends. Ms Helen Rouine, of the INO, said payment at present was less than €1 an hour which was "totally unacceptable".
The Mid-Western Health Board, however, had said it was paying the nationally agreed rate and refused to negotiate.
Nurses will refuse to perform such tasks as washing and sterilising instruments, answering phones, moving trolleys and washing theatre floors. Patients would not be "compromised in any way", Ms Rouine said.
The resumed talks between IMPACT and the Western Health Board over job cuts in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon resumed after an adjournment last Friday, when little or no progress was reported on the proposed loss of 169 posts. Mr Shay Clinton, of IMPACT, said last night there had been a "far more open" approach to the talks by the board and he hoped this would continue.
Mr Clinton also said the board had agreed to delay laying off staff on Friday, pending resumption of the negotiations.
In a separate development, SIPTU has reacted angrily to a report that the largest payout in health board expenses had been to members in the western region.The Irish Independent said yesterday €206,328 had been paid to the 30 members of the WHB, out of a total of over €1 million in expenses.
Mr Colm Keavney, of SIPTU, said this was guaranteed to anger his members further. "The basic pay for my members pales into insignificance compared to the scale of expense claims that these people are submitting. It is going to confirm our view that savings can be made in other areas."
SIPTU is due to hold what it described as "crunch talks" with the board tomorrow.
Mr Keavney warned of widespread industrial action among his members if the approach of the health board's chief executive officer was not constructive.
