THE Republic's 240 public health doctors will begin a series of one-day strikes from the middle of June if an agreement on working conditions is not implemented. They are protesting at the lack of progress in implementing the agreement, concluded more than two years ago, which involves large-scale restructuring of the profession. A particular bone of contention is the position of more than 70 temporary staff who were to become permanent.
A decision to ballot was taken at April's a.g.m. of the Irish Medical Organisation and, although the organisation reported some progress at a May 1st meeting with the Department of Health and the health boards, the doctors voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. A second meeting is planned for June 18th. The IMO says unless substantial progress has been made by then, the strikes will go ahead.