The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) is seeking two additional days of leave for more than 40,000 nurses to compensate them for delays in the payment of pay increases.
The union has lodged a claim with the Department of Health and HSE due to the late payment of increases due under the existing public sector pay agreement 'Building Momentum'.
The INMO said it believes the employer is in breach of the pay deal.
"Agreed pay awards owed to nurses and midwives have been delayed twice in the last year, on one occasion by six months and the other by three months," an INMO spokesperson said.
"This is all during a cost of living crisis.
"We are at the beginning of negotiating a new public service agreement, our members want to be assured that if pay awards to deal with the cost of living crisis are agreed, that they will be paid to them at the same time as the rest of the public service."
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said it is aware of the INMO claim seeking two days of additional annual leave for nursing staff.
"While delays in issuing pay increases were noted in certain areas of the HSE due to complexities with local payroll systems, it is important to note that all HSE staff have, and always will, receive every pay rise due to them, with retrospective payment to the appropriate effective date," the spokesperson said.
Talks on a new public sector pay deal began last week and are continuing at the Workplace Relations Commission.
The current agreement is due to expire at the end of the year.
The lodging of the claim by the INMO was first reported by the Irish Independent.
