Nurses & HSE To Resume Talks

Talks between health service employers and nursing unions resume this morning under the auspices of the National Implementation Body. The fresh round of discussions got under way yesterday afternoon at Government Buildings.

The General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, David Begg, who is a member of the National Implementation Body, said its function was to find a road map for the parties to resolve the dispute but it would not deal with the substantive issues.

Going into the talks yesterday, Des Kavanagh of the Psychiatric Nurses Association said the two nursing unions would table a variety of proposals aimed at resolving the dispute over pay and working hours.

The Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association have agreed to suspend a planned escalation of one-hour work stoppages in more than 50 hospitals, which were due to take place later this week.

However, the work-to-rule by nurses is continuing as part of their campaign for a 35-hour week and a 10.6% pay increase.