SITPU said tonight they were "disappointed" with proposals from the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to resolve the current crisis in accident and emergency departments.
The reaction comes after INO and SIPTU representatives met tonight with the Minister to attempt to address the overcrowding issue and avert further industrial action.
This afternoon, nurses in the accident and emergency department at Tallaght hospital began a work-to-rule in a protest about overcrowding.
The nurses, represented by the Irish Nurses’ Organisation, announced an indefinite withdrawal from clerical duties, recording heart tests and administering intravenous antibiotics.
Mr Oliver McDonagh, SIPTU’s national nursing officer, said tonight the Minister’s offer to set up community groups to ensure the smooth running of local health services was insufficient to address the issue.
"We need to see something more substantial than the setting up of working groups before we are prepared to call off our industrial action," he said.
Notice has been served to the health authorities of a nationwide two-hour strike over the issue on March 13th.
The Tallaght action stems from an INO claim that an agreement with management on speeding up the discharge of in-patients to make room for accident and emergency cases had not been implemented. They said dozens of patients every day have been left on trolleys in corridors while they waited for beds.
