Nursing Strike Called Off

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has opted to suspend its planned three-day strike which was due to begin this morning, Tuesday 12 February.

The decision followed a Labour Court recommendation on Monday, which awarded significant concessions across all issues of concern, including the key areas of safe staffing and the recruitment and retention crisis.

Details of the recommendation will be presented to INMO members soon and will be subjected to a ballot.

The union's General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: "After over thirty hours of negotiations at the Labour Court, the Executive Council have agreed that sufficient progress has been made to suspend strikes and consider the Labour Court's recommendations.

"There is still more negotiation to be done, but we are at a point where we believe strikes can be suspended. Members will be kept fully informed and will have the final say in a ballot. Safe staffing along with recruitment and retention were key concerns for us, and we have made progress on both.

"We are immensely grateful for our determined nurse and midwife members, who are standing up for our patients and our professions. They have at all times worked to ensure patient safety during this dispute."

Among other proposals, the recommendation includes:

• Guaranteed multi-annual funding to maintain safe staffing levels.

• Significant changes to salary scale and allowances.

• Increased education and training opportunities.

• An expert group to examine, in a short period of time, remaining pay and reform issues including those affecting senior management grades.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association has also suspended its industrial action, a move welcomed by Minister for Health Simon Harris.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) pledged to endeavour to do everything possible to restore normal services, with nurses expected to fully attend work today, tomorrow and Thursday.

Outpatient appointments will go ahead as normal, and surgical patients are advised that they will be contacted if their planned procedure is to go ahead.

Minor Injury Clincs are also open as normal, with Emergency Departments expected to be extremely busy.

The HSE website will be updated throughout the next few days with any further changes.



(JG/CM)