Sir, – As a nurse I wish to express my dismay at the discriminatory elements of the recent Croke Park deal.
When I was growing up female public servants were fired on marrying. It took EEC legislation to force the hand of a reactionary Irish government to legislate for equal pay. It appals me that a Labour government would now seek to overturn this and return women to low pay and poor conditions. Because, make no mistake, this “deal” will hit women disproportionately. Nursing is an overwhelmingly female profession.
Given that firefighters and prison officers are now exempt from cuts to premium pay (Home News, March 2nd), the reductions in nurses’ pay would appear to be carefully targeted at women.
Nurses working in hospitals are rostered over a period of 24 hours, seven days a week. They do not have a choice about working Sundays, bank holidays or night duty. While politicians and their minions can guarantee they will be spending Christmas day with their families, nurses know what it is like to spend this special day away from their loved ones.
Many job-share or work reduced hours as the physical and psychological pressure makes it difficult to work fulltime and care for a family. The reduction in premium pay will hit them hard. Some may be forced out of the workplace by restrictions in flexible working time.
Many of my colleagues working in community facilities are young graduates on the bottom of the payscale who are dependent on allowances to enhance a meagre salary. These young people are bright, enthusiastic and hard working. The very people we need to stay in this country.
I would appeal to the Labour Party to put aside partisan considerations and treat all workers equally. The battle for equal pay has been hard fought.
It would be ironic if these socially progressive advances were reversed by stroke politics at their worst. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I note that the Government is planning to reduce the pensions of those public servants on pensions in excess of €32,500 and to add insult to injury, to apply a higher rate to those who retired before the end of February 2012 (“Pension concessions to be offered to public servants retiring in 18 months”, Martin Wall, Front page, March 1st). These were people who were afforded a similar concession to the one now on offer.
When someone is thinking about retiring, the financial considerations are of paramount importance and to be informed that the expected pension that the decision was based on is to be reduced one year later, is tantamount to breach of contract on the part of the employer.
To those public servants who are considering availing of this new concession, I would remind them of the adage “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – I would like to forewarn Florence Horsman Hogan (March 1st) that her feelings of satisfaction with her terms and conditions of employment in the HSE in comparison with those of some employees in different sectors will be short lived.
The erosion of decent conditions of employment previously enjoyed by all employees continues apace, thus ensuring we will all be in the gutter together soon. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The cynical testosterone appeasement exercise agreed by the insider negotiators of the Croke Park extension is sickening. Even though it would interfere with my ongoing treatment, I hope that the nurses will take industrial action so as to rectify the obvious injustice inflicted on them. – Yours, etc,