Sir, - Jimmy Somers's rousing speech to the SIPTU conference on October 5th, warning the Government of the folly of ignoring the nurses - one of the "most admired groups of workers" in the public service - sits uneasily with SIPTU's overwhelming endorsement the following day of the union re-entering talks on a new partnership pay deal. In the light of the DIRT/Ansbacher/planning corruption/payments to politicians scandals, it is almost incredible that a union which is to lead its nursing members on an all-out strike in less than two weeks does not postpone a decision on partnership talks until this issue is resolved.
As nurses form a small proportion of the union's overall membership it would appear that SIPTU's leadership neither understands nor sympathises with their cause. In an article on the upcoming dispute in your edition of October 7th, Martin Frawley writes: "While no union would say it publicly, in private the unions are hoping the Government holds firm this time." In fact, one could be forgiven for suspecting that SIPTU's acquiescence in Killarney on Wednesday gave the green light to Brian Cowen's chest-beating, "not an inch" performance with Myles Dungan on RTE's" Five Seven Live a few hours later.
It would appear that SIPTU and the Government have taken "partnership" to a new level. - Yours etc,
Mary Dineen, Rossbrook, Model Farm Road, Cork.