The two main nursing unions expressed their bitter disappointment this afternoon at the Labour Court's rejection of its demands regarding pay and working conditions last Friday.
INO general secretary Liam Doran:
The Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA), which represent 40,000 nurses and midwives, lodged eight claims with the Labour Court for parity of pay with therapeutic grades, the introduction of a Dublin living allowance, a reduction in the working week from 39 to 35 hours and the elimination of the anomaly which sees qualified and unqualified childcare workers paid more than all staff nurses and midwives.
The Labour Court, however, rejected the claims saying they could only be addressed through the public service benchmarking process, which the unions previously pulled out of.
Speaking after a joint meeting of both unions this afternoon, INO General Secretary Liam Doran said they were bitterly disappointed by the Labour Court decision.
"The Labour Court did not consider our claims but simply referred us back to benchmarking. We don't have a fundamental opposition to benchmarking. But we have no confidence in the benchmarking process to address matters of acute concern to nurses and midwives," he said.
Brendan Mulligan, HSE
"The decision is most disappointing, particularly when it is recalled that a range of other grades, in the health service and the wider public sector, have made progress on claims for improved pay and conditions outside of benchmarking. We see no reason why nurses and midwives should not be allowed to have issues of concern treated in a similar manner," he added.
The unions are now drawing up a plan of action in response to the Labour Court's recommendations. It will be presented at a national pay rally for nurses in the Helix Theatre, Dublin on 22 November.
"All roads now lead to the Helix where we will present the next steps in our campaign to the representatives of our 40,000 members," said Mr Doran.
Asked whether industrial action was now inevitable, Mr Doran said no-one wanted to use the "nuclear weapon" of a strike.
"Industrial action is not inevitable. We remain available for discussions, we are willing to reform work practices. But the management stance of no, no, no is not acceptable," he said.
Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the PNA said nurses were not prepared to be treated as second-class citizens.
"The 40,000 nurses and midwives, represented by both our unions, have diligently and patiently sought to have these issues adequately addressed through procedure. This issue is not going away," he said.
Meanwhile, the HSE urged both unions to reconsider their position with regard to participation in benchmarking.
"We accept the Labour Court's recommendation and would urge the INO and PNA to endorse the Court's position regarding their participation in benchmarking. We would also agree with the Court's recommendation for the two unions to accept new Social Partnership Agreement - Towards 2016," said Brendan Mulligan of the HSE.