Sir, - As nurses, we would like to express our deep disappointment and dissatisfaction with the manner in which the recent strike was handled by our union executives. Their lack of direction caused greater confusion than necessary in hospitals and, having run an ineffective strike, they called it off without any consultation with their members.
The executive showed great lack of consideration by demanding a return to work at one-and-a-half hours' notice and without members knowing what offers were on the table.
The media coverage (or lack of it) showed a sinister influence by Government. Little was made of the fact that 27,000 nurses were working throughout the strike without pay (and without any strike pay for the majority, who were INO members) to provide the much-criticised emergency cover.
During the nine-day strike, the Government saved £16 million on our wages; the settlement was a bargain for it at £20 million. The strike was obviously futile and had we had an effective negotiating team managing our union. It need not have happened.
Nurses are more disillusioned now than ever before. It would not be surprising if there was a mass exodus from the profession in the coming months. - Yours, etc.
Madeline Hennessy, Breda O'Connor, Loughlinstown Hospital, Co Dublin.