Nurses outline reasons for benchmarking rejection
Nurses have outlined their reasons for rejecting the benchmarking process in favour of lodging pay claims with the Health Service Executive.
Speaking at a press conference today, David Hughes of the Irish Nurses Organisation said nurses would take 21 years to achieve the same pay as unqualified childcare workers under benchmarking.
"It's a huge demoralising factor," he said.
"Many people go into nursing because they are attracted to the caring profession , but when they arrive there, they are devalued by a system which sees them in some cases supervising people who are higher paid than them."
The INO and the Psychiatric Nurses Organisation are both seeking better rates of pay and a 35-hour working week.
Their claims are due to be heard at the Labour Relations Commission early next month.
