SIPTU, January 25, 2008 The terms of the compensation scheme for
psychiatric nurses assaulted during the course of their work, fall far
short of what was expected, according to SIPTU’s National Nursing
Official, Louise O’Reilly. “The scheme announced by the HSEA today,
will add to nurses’ frustration,” she said. “For example - a
psychiatric nurse assaulted during the course of their duties and
rendered quadriplegic will get exactly one third of the compensation
recommended by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board for the same
injury. ... " Nurses

Irish Health, January 21, 2008 Nealry three quarters of viewers who
took part in the latest irishhealth.com poll believe that nurses were
hard done by in the recent Benchmarking Body report. Seventy three per
cent felt that the Benchmarking Body was wrong to deny most nurses a
pay rise. The body only recommended pay rises for a small number of
senior nurses and recommended no pay rise for the vast majority of
nurses. The nurse unions are now sending their pay claim rejected under
Benchmarking back to the Labour Court for adjudication. ... Poll

Review confirms need for sustained additional investment in the public
health service. The immediate need for additional acute beds is also
confirmed. Irish Nurses Organisation, January 18, 2008 The Bed Capacity
Review, published today by the Health Service Executive (HSE) (Link to
a PDF copy of this report) confirms the current shortage of acute beds,
facing the country, and also the need for sustained additional
investment, in the public health service, if it is to meet the needs of
this country’s growing, and ageing, population by the year 2020. ... Bed

Irish Health, January 18, 2008 The stabbing of two staff members by a
psychiatric patient in a Limerick day hospital highlights the dangers
that workers in the mental health service are exposed to on a daily
basis, SIPTU has said. A male psychiatrist and a female psychologist
were stabbed by a patient in the HSE-run St Anne’s Day Care Centre on
Thursday afternoon. The victims were being treated in the Mid Western
Regional Hospital, however the male has since been transferred to Cork
University Hospital. ... Two

SIPTU, January 17, 2008 The HSE’s latest attempt to control jobs within
the health service has provoked outrage from SIPTU Nursing. These new
measures have replaced the recruitment ban in the health services which
was imposed by the HSE in September 2007, in a crude cost cutting
exercise. The new measures – outlined in a circular from the HSE, known
as the Employment Control Framework – which came into effect on January
8, is even worse than the recruitment ban, according to the Industrial
Relations Committee of SIPTU Nursing. ... Delivery

Irish Times, January 17, 2008 Overcrowding in a Dublin emergency
department was critical today with 46 patients waiting on trolleys and
chairs for admission, it was claimed. The Irish Nurses Organisation
(INO) said the situation was so bad at Beaumont Hospital that emergency
ambulances were detained at the department for more than two hours. The
hospital said it was aware of extra pressure on the service and trying
to address it. ... Critical

Belfast Telegraph, January 17, 2008 Ireland's largest trade union says
morale among nurses is at an all-time low due to ongoing cutbacks by
the Health Service Executive. SIPTU, which represents a minority of
nurses in the Irish health system, says the cost cuts have caused
outrage among its members. The HSE has recently informed health staff
that jobs left vacant during the recent recruitment freeze will not be
refilled now that the embargo is over. SIPTU is seeking an urgent
meeting with Health Minister Mary Harney to discuss the situation. ©
Belfast Telegraph

Irish Times, January 17, 2008 A nursing union today accused the Health
Service Executive (HSE) of replacing its recruitment ban with another
"crude cost-cutting exercise" that is harming staff morale. A circular
sent to hospitals by Martin McDonald, the HSE's national director for
human resources, states employment levels will only rise to deliver
Government or ministerial-approved service developments. Siptu's
nursing section said the new measures, in place from January 8th, had
provoked "outrage" from its members. ... HSE

Eilish O'Regan, Independent.ie, January 17, 2008 Embittered nursing
unions are to give the Labour Court a "last chance" to deliver on their
demand for a €6,000-a-year pay hike after rejection by the benchmarking
body. The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses'
Association (PNA), which represents more than 45,000 nurses, said they
would return to the Labour Court - but warned if the claim was thrown
out again all-out industrial action would be considered. Union leaders
warned that they were looking at the "nuclear option'' used by nurses
in Finland last November ... Nurses

Belfast Telegraph, January 16, 2008 Ireland's two main nursing unions
are due to announce what action they are planning in response to the
benchmarking report. The Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric
Nurses Association abandoned the strike campaign last year after being
promised that they would get a sympathetic hearing from the
benchmarking body. However, the body has instead recommended no pay
increases for the vast majority of nurses. The INO and PNA say they are
bitterly disappointed with the report and will reveal today what action
they plan to take in response. The unions may return to the Labour
Court or may once again ballot their members on industrial action. ©
Belfast Telegraph

RTÉ News, January 16, 2008 The Irish Nurses Organisation and the
Psychiatric Nurses Association say they will consider taking drastic
industrial action if their pay claims are not settled soon. The warning
came after the unions met for two days to consider the second
benchmarking report, which gave no pay increases to staff nurses and
midwives. The unions decided to return to the Labour Court with their
claims. Des Kavanagh of the Psychiatric Nurses Association said all
options, including an all-out strike, would be considered if the pay
claims were not dealt with quickly.

Paul Anderson, Irish Times, January 16, 2008 Nurses are to seek the
opinion of the European Commission in pursuit of their pay claim but
have warned that industrial action could be imminent. The Irish Nurses'
Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA) said
it could not accept last week's report of the Public Service
Benchmarking Body which awarded a pay rise to some senior nurses
because the claim was outside its terms of reference. In a joint
statement, the unions said they would give the Labour Court "one last
chance" to deal with their claim ... Nurses

RTÉ News, January 15, 2008 The executive of the Irish Nurses'
Organisation is meeting to discuss the outcome of the second report
from the benchmarking body. Its members have reacted angrily to the
news that no pay increase was recommended for around 25,000 staff
nurses or midwives, and that a special allowance for nurses working in
Dublin was also rejected. Another nurses' union, the Psychiatric
Nurses' Association, says it now plans to consult widely with its
members on the benchmarking result. ... INO

Liam Doran, Irish Nurses Organisation, January 14, 2008 The Labour
Court, following cases taken by all of the Health Service Staff Unions
including the INO, has determined that the HSE was in breach of Towards
2016 and the EU Information and Consultation Directive in the manner in
which it introduced, without prior consultation, staffing restrictions
in September 2007. The two Labour Court findings are the first time
that any health service employer has been found to be in breach of
their obligations under any social partnership agreement and is
confirmation that the HSE acted unilaterally ... Labour

Eilish O'Regan, Independent.ie, January 11, 2008 Nursing unions
yesterday warned of a "risk of conflict" in the workplace after the
public service benchmarking report dealt a blow to pay demands from
frontline staff. Staff nurses failed to secure any rise in pay and a
Dublin weighting allowance. Instead, just a small number of senior
medical staff will benefit from recommendations. Around 250 to 300
directors of nursing will get a 10pc pay rise, along with 500-800
assistant directors. Grade III clinical nurse managers will get a 6.8pc
rise, bringing their top pay up to e66,752. ... Nurses