‘A clear message’ – strike action looms at Kilkenny hospital after nurses’ ballot
More strike action looms at Kilkenny’s St Luke’s General Hospital after members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.
The INMO last night confirmed 95.6% of its members voted in favour of industrial action following a six-week, in-person ballot over staffing issues across the health sector.
Nurses and midwives were balloted on the non-filling and delayed filling of vacant and suppressed posts. More than 2,000 nursing and midwifery posts were left unfilled in the public health system at the end of last year.
It comes after members of the Fórsa trade union working as health staff in St Luke’s staged a lunchtime protest last month as part of their dispute with the HSE and the Department of Health.
Commenting on the ballot result, INMO President Caroline Gourley said: “INMO members have sent a clear message to the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health that nurses and midwives are no longer willing to accept pausing the hiring of much-needed safety critical staff in a weak attempt to balance the books.
“All autonomy has been stripped from directors of nursing and midwifery to recruit additional nurses and midwives, yet they are the ones who are expected to ensure a safe service.
“We cannot wait any longer, patients deserve a properly staffed health service that is not constantly dogged by crisis after crisis.”
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha warned one of the “first priorities of the next Government” must be to solve “staffing issues that exist right across the public sector”.
