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SIPTU leader calls on all involved in the nurses' dispute to enter talks immediately before services to patients are hit

Date Released: 19 Feb 2007

SIPTU, the largest union in the Health Service and a member of the National Nursing Alliance today (Sunday, February 18) said that it supports the claims being made by the Psychiatric Nurses Association and Irish Nurses Organisation against the Health Service Executive. SIPTU has itself made similar claims on behalf of its nursing members to the Benchmarking Body.

In response to requests from the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Organisation and as a sign of nurses’ solidarity, SIPTU has advised its members not to undertake the work of nurses that are engaged in industrial action.

As the clock starts to run on the last week of strike notice in the nurses dispute the Vice President of SIPTU, Brendan Hayes, has called on all parties “to use the time available to explore mechanisms through which this dispute can be avoided and a lasting solution to the nurses justified claims can be developed. The general public expects that all those charged with the provision of the health services nationally and with managing industrial relations within the state to make every effort to find a solution to the issues in dispute before the Health Service becomes almost completely crippled. Patients deserve no less.

“SIPTU is willing to participate in exploratory talks or in any process that will assist in developing mechanisms to resolve this dispute”. Mr Hayes called on, “The key players involved to act now, and not simply wring their hands while they watch the countdown to crisis in the health services. The time available should be used sensibly and constructively by both sides to fashion a sensible and viable process to resolve the issues in dispute” he said.  





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