INMO Live-INMO recommending rejection of the proposals - ten most frequently asked questions

If you comply with the agreement, pay cuts will be reviewed, each spring from 2011 to 2014. This will take into account any savings achieved through the transformation agenda with priority being given to those on salaries under €35,000 per annum for any reversal of the pay cut.
If you comply with the agreement there will be no further pay cuts.
If you comply with the agreement there will be no compulsory redundancies.

2. CAN THE GOVERNMENT CHANGE IT’S MIND?

Yes - if there is an “unforeseen budgetary deterioration”.

3. WHAT CHANGES ARE PROPOSED FOR THE HEALTH SERVICE?

Redeployment, initially on a voluntary basis, but if there are no volunteers it can be compulsory within a radius of 45km from your home or work location. Your grade and pay is protected if you are redeployed.
Performance Related Pay: Your increment will be subject to a favourable performance review.
Promotion: Eligibility to compete will be subject to a favourable performance review.
Subject to procedures, you may be rostered any hours between 8am and 8pm.
You may be required to work any 5 days over a 7 day cycle, if service demands it, and no service currently exists for the required hours.

Reporting to a manager who may be from another discipline, i.e. not a nurse or midwife.
Your roster may be reviewed to provide the most cost effective cover.
Outsourcing of certain functions subject to compliance with procedure.

4. WILL THE RECRUITMENT MORATORIUM CONTINUE?

Yes, in order to comply with the agreement you must accept that the moratorium on recruitment and promotion will continue in force for nursing and midwifery.
Over 1,500 nursing posts have been suppressed since January 2008 and the government employment control framework for the health service requires a reduction of 6,000 posts before 2012 (1,600 of these in 2010).

5. WHAT ELSE MUST I ACCEPT?

The McCarthy Report (An Bord Snip Nua) which advocates a reduction of 3,500 acute hospital beds and other cuts.
A new pension scheme (worse) for new entrants to the public service after January 2011.
Linking your pension, when you retire, to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rather than the pay of your grade.
No cost increasing claims can be made for the lifetime of the agreement.
Industrial action is prohibited on any matter covered by the agreement.
All government policies designed to reduce the budgetary deficit to 3% of GDP by 2014.

6. WHAT IS REQUIRED OF ME IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE AGREEMENT?

In the health service the proposed agreement provides procedures for change and outsourcing. In general, those procedures provide for consultation, involving your union, and a 42 day period during which any issues in dispute may be ironed out. The outcome of the procedure will be binding and, provided your employer has complied with the procedure, the change they want must proceed.

7. WHY IS THE INMO RECOMMENDING REJECTION?

The proposed agreement fails to guarantee that there will be no further cuts in your pay. In fact, it threatens that your pay may be cut if you do not comply with all aspects of it.
The proposal requires that you accept the continuation of the moratorium on recruitment and promotion until health service posts have been reduced by 6,000 (the majority of these will be frontline staff).
The proposal does not guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancy. Again, it introduces the threat that there may be compulsory redundancy if you fail to comply. There has never been compulsory redundancies in the civil or public services before.
The proposal requires you to accept the McCarthy Report.

8. DOES REJECTION OF THE PROPOSAL AUTOMATICALLY MEAN STRIKE ACTION?

No. The INMO will present an alternative plan, for the protection of the public health service, and, if it is endorsed by the Annual Delegate Conference on 6th May, seek further dialogue on this plan.

9. WILL INMO BE BOUND BY AN OVERALL MAJORITY OF THE ICTU PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE ACCEPTING IT?

Yes. We entered this campaign as a united Public Service Committee and it will come to an end only through a decision by majority of that Committee.

10. DO WE NEED AN AGREEMENT?

It is desirable to have fair agreements. This is not a fair agreement. It tries to buy your silence. It is better not to make an agreement than to accept a bad one.

Q & A - Ten Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)