The Health Service Executive (HSE) has claimed today that it is unable to amend nurses’ pay because of the Landsdowne Road Agreement.
Talks between the HSE and unions on how to address the overcrowding issue, and also the matter of nurses’ pay have now broken down and strike action is inevitable, with members of the INMO expected to form picket lines as early as next Tuesday.
According to the HSE’s HR director, Rosarii Mannion, some “progress” has been made, but the talks on pay have stalled.
Ms. Mannion said “Significant progress was made in relation to seven issues round insurance, staffing, health and safety, recruitment and retention (and) management structures,”
“However, this issue that we were not able to progress satisfactorily was in relation to nurses’ pay and incremental credit. Now, this was not within our gift.
“We are signatories, as are many other bodies, to the Lansdowne Road Agreement (and) while we are happy to engage, we are not in a position to advance talks on pay.”