INMO / PNA Announce Next Step in Nurse/Midwife Graduate Campaign. 29.01.13
INMO / PNA Announce Next Step in Campaign against Nurse/Midwife low paid graduate Programme
Boycott is working
- Protest outside HSE Headquarters 11.00 a.m., Friday, 1st February 2013
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) have decided, as the next step in their ongoing campaign of opposition to the low paid nurse/midwife graduate programme, to hold a public protest, outside the HSE Headquarters, Dr. Steeven’s Hospital, as follows:
Time: 11.00 a.m.
Date: Friday, 1st February 2013
This public protest is the latest step, in our continuing campaign, to highlight the injustice, of this graduate programme.
The INMO/PNA remain fundamentally opposed to this exploitative programme, which would see the registered nurse/midwife paid only 80% of their proper rate of pay, for many reasons including:
- it would involve the displacement of up to 1,000 nurses/midwives, currently employed through agencies, providing excellent direct patient care;
- there are no additional nursing man-hours arising from the implementation of this programme;
- the starting salary, for a new entrant nurse/midwife, has already been cut by 24% since 2009; and
- the programme has no specific additional educational component and will see the new graduates having to accept 100% responsibility, as a registered/regulated professional, while only receiving 80% of the appropriate pay rate.
The INMO/PNA are also repeating their call, upon the HSE/Department of Health, to suspend the proposed programme and come to the negotiating table to allow for discussions aimed at finding the savings, through alternative means, which would respect the stated salary scales for all nurses/midwives. In this regard the INMO/PNA have identified savings (see attached sheet) which clearly itemises how the HSE can secure significant cost reduction, through direct employment, rather than incurring extraneous costs through the use of agencies.
Speaking this afternoon INMO General Secretary Liam Doran said:
“Our protest, to be held on Friday, will coincide will the second deadline, introduced by the HSE, for this flawed graduate programme. We remain confident that the boycott is holding fast and that the HSE has received a very small number of applications for these underpaid posts which carry 100% responsibility with only 80% of the proper pay.
The refusal of the Department of Health/HSE, to come to the negotiating table, only confirms that this has now become an issue of principle, for senior management, rather than an issue which needs to be addressed, through dialogue, conscious that the stated salary scales must be respected while all costs should be minimised”.
Mr. Seamus Murphy, PNA Deputy General Secretary concluded:
“The rally on Friday will be attended by a large number of new graduates, from all over the country, together with agency nurses/midwives and undergraduates all of whom would be negatively affected by this “sham” of a programme. This programme will only guarantee large numbers of our excellent young nurses emigrating and being lost to our service. This minister and management must come to their senses, before it is too late, and agree a programme that will retain these young professionals”
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