Government criticised for delays in implementing nurses' pay increase

The Government has been accused of rejecting the spirit of the Labour Court recommendation that ended the nine-day nurses' strike last October. The SIPTU National Nursing convention in Killarney heard that nurses in so-called promotional grades, from junior ward sisters to matrons, are increasingly angry over a delay in pay increases expected under the settlement.

More than 700 psychiatric nurses are already working to rule at hospitals around the country and today the Government was warned that thousands more feel angry and betrayed. As part of the settlement of the nine-day nurses' strike last October, the so-called promotional grades expected a pay review to lead to wage increases as a matter of priority. But that's has now been delayed as a result of a new system of public service pay determination introduced as part of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.

SIPTU's National Nursing Officer, Oliver McDonagh, revealed this afternoon that the union has written to the Labour Court asking for payments of £1,000 for each year of the new National Agreement to compensate for this delay. So far there has been no response from the court, but nurses at the SIPTU convention today warned that disappointment is rapidly turning to militancy.

The Government has been urged to provide interest-free home loans to nurses as an incentive to them to take up jobs in Dublin. The convention in Killarney has been told that the cost of accommodation is a key reason why over 1,000 posts remain vacant in the capital.

Nurses find the cost of accommodation in Dublin prohibitive, according to SIPTU's Oliver McDonagh and he claims house prices have been central in driving nurses away from hospitals in the capital. As many as 1,200 jobs in total are vacant. Beaumont Hospital for example is routinely as many as 100 nurses short. Mr McDonagh has already urged an Oireachtas Committee investigating the nursing shortage to consider a special living allowance for the Dublin area.

Now he wants the Government to look at Tony Blair's starter home initiative for nurses and teachers living in London, urging the Taoiseach to consider interest free loans for nurses buying houses in Dublin, with perhaps some form of subvention for those paying rent. It was pointless talking about trying to identify the cause of staff shortages, he says unless there was a willingness to take radical steps in response.