Irish nurses escalate strike action

In an escalation of the Irish nurses' dispute over hours and pay, a national strike will be held for two hours next Wednesday by members of the Irish Nurses Association and the Psychiatric Nurses Association. The nurses are responding to a threat by their employer - the Health Service Executive - to cut 13% of their wages for participating in a work-to-rule.

The work-to-rule has been underway for 39 days now, and has been accompanied by a series of rolling one- two- and three-hour stoppages which have affected all Ireland's hospitals in turn, but the action is being stepped up dramatically in response to the HSE's provocation. There's been one previous national stoppage, for one hour, so the two-hour work stoppage next Wednesday will be the most significant step so far.

In addition to this escalation the INO/PNA will also, with immediate effect;
* advise members to withdraw all goodwill gestures and working arrangements currently in place and to work strictly to their rostered hours; and
* consult with members about their strict adherence to contracted hours.

These decisions followed consultation, with their activists, at an INO Special Delegate Conference and PNA special meeting of their branch officers. According to the unions, "the mood at both meetings was one of total commitment and solidarity with the campaign mixed with anger and disgust at the provocative action of the HSE to reduce the pay of Nurses and Midwives who continue to fulfil all of their roster requirements and provide the full range of direct care to patients/clients".

There's much to commend in the unions' approach to this dispute - extensive and up-to-the-minute use of their websites for distribution of information, much initiative given to local reps to arrange the best time for stoppages and activity, very visible and dynamic pickets and demonstrations and a positive press campaign that has pinned the blame for any impact on patients squarely at the door of the employers.

When Health Minister Mary Harney spoke at the conference she was heckled, and members refused to applaud before or after her speech - unlike at UNISON's health conference, where some members at least were led into applause for Andy Burnham, the Minister for Privatising NHS Logistics, by members of the SGE on the conference platform. I think a dignified silence would have been a much better response.

It seems the Irish nurses are giving us a lead, once again. But there's still no word from the health unions in the UK about plans for a ballot over our own pay dispute. Last I heard, we'd asked for a meeting with Gordon Brown, and now we're waiting to hear whether he can find time in his busy election schedule to meet with us. I suspect that a two-hour national stoppage of work by all union members in the NHS might help him clear his diary...

The INO website has lots of photos, from both the conference and the picket lines. I'm sure they'll appreciate messages of support and solidarity. I'm pleased that UNISON's health SGE agreed during our recent conference that we would issue a statement of support, although there doesn't seem to have been any mention of the dispute yet on UNISON's own website.