The Labour Court has rejected pay demands by two of the main nursing unions, saying their claim can only be addressed through the public service benchmarking process.
The nurses' demands included a pay increase, a cut in working hours from 39 to 35 hours a week, and a special cost of living allowance for staff based in Dublin.
In his recommendation, Labour Court Chairman Kevin Duffy said it would be neither desirable nor consistent with the terms of current or previous agreements for the court to supplant the exclusive functions of the benchmarking body.
Effectively, the court has not adjudicated on the merits of each of the eight demands but has stressed that they must be determined in the benchmarking process adopted by the rest of the public service.
The Irish Nurses Organisation has withdrawn from benchmarking, but Mr Duffy urged the union to reconsider its position and to have the claims examined through that process.
Two other nursing unions - SIPTU and IMPACT - are currently pursuing their claims through benchmarking.
In relation to the claim for a 35-hour week, the Labour Court said such a claim could not be addressed in isolation as it could have cost implications and affect other grades in the health service.
He said nursing employers and unions should jointly explore the possibility of initiating an appropriate process aimed at achieving major re-organisation of working arrangements and practices within the health services generally.
