Nurses begin strike vote in campaign for better pay
Nurses are due to begin voting today on possible industrial action to pursue their campaign for improved pay and conditions.
The move follows a Labour Court ruling in November rejecting the nurses' claims for a 10% pay increase and a reduction in weekly working hours from 39 to 35.
The Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association argued that the changes were needed to bring nurses' pay and conditions in line with those of other healthcare professionals.
However, the Labour Court said the claims should be pursued through the public-service benchmarking process.
The INO and PNA have responded by arranging a strike ballot among their 40,000 members which is due to get underway today.
The proposed action is understood to involve a phased campaign of lunchtime demonstrations, work-to-rule protests and an eventual withdrawal of labour.
