Attn: All INO Members

From:  Liam Doran, General Secretary

Re:  Public Service Pay Cuts - Campaign of Resistance and Non Co-Operation - Phase One

Dear Colleagues

I refer to previous correspondence, sent to you in recent days, detailing the INMO’s directive, to all members, regarding this Organisation’s participation in the campaign of resistance/non co-operation arising from the imposition of pay cuts, by all public service employers, on behalf of the government.

Arising from feedback from this directive, and discussions held at various meetings, with members, across the country in recent days, the Executive Council, following a meeting on Tuesday, 2nd February 2010, has decided to issue the following elaboration with regard to point 10 of the directive:

“(x) no further involvement in any administrative projects/initiatives/audits sought by the HSE/HIQA or other bodies;”

1. HIQA

All members are now asked to adhere to this particular directive in the following manner:

DO NOT participate in internal peer review exercises (this would involve staff from one ward/unit undertaking an inspection of another ward/unit for the purposes of preparing in-house reports possibly ahead of, or subsequent to, an inspection by HIQA);

DO NOT participate in external peer review, by staff from one hospital to another (and vice-versa) - this seems to be a new initiative, which is a substitute for a physical inspection by HIQA personnel.  This results in staff, from overworked and short staffed facilities, having to undertake additional work, which is the remit of HIQA;

DO co-operate, on the day, with the actual physical inspection, by HIQA personnel, as this is a statutory agency undertaking one of its statutory functions; and

DO assist with the implementation of all patient care related recommendations from HIQA reports.  This should include highlighting, to your Regional Operations Director, where/when available resources do not allow the implementation of such recommendations.

2. An Bord Altranais

Members should continue to co-operate fully with the periodic (routine) inspections, undertaken by An Bord Altranais, with regard to ensuring the clinical placements, of undergraduate and postgraduate nursing/midwifery programmes, are appropriate.

3. Meetings/Discussions with Fellow Managers

The Executive Council is again reminding all of the Organisation’s nurse/midwifery manager members to engage in local discussions with their fellow senior managers, at workplace level, who are members of the IMPACT trade union who are also engaged in this campaign of resistance/non co-operation.  These discussions should facilitate a consistent approach to the directives, issued by both unions, and further facilitate the maintenance of direct frontline services with service reconfigurations/expansions, as required by corporate HSE, set aside for the duration of this campaign.

4. Recent Media Coverage

In recent days you may have seen or heard comments from the Chief Executive Officer of the Labour Relations Commission regarding this dispute and the need to avoid any escalation.

It should be noted that all public sector unions are united in saying that any process, or engagement, about this dispute must include:

• the reversal of the recent pay cuts;
• future government policy on public service pay;
• protection of public service pensions; and
• protection of public service jobs.

At this time no talks/discussions are planned or expected in the short term so the campaign, across the public service, continues.

SUMMARY

The Executive Council, in drawing up the initial directive, and this elaboration continues to prioritise the provision of direct patient care, by all members, in phase one of this campaign of resistance/non co-operation.

In a sustained period of cutbacks, which sees nursing/midwifery posts left vacant due to the recruitment moratorium, the Executive Council is again calling upon members to strictly adhere to this directive.  All public service unions, including all unions in the health sector, are currently examining the most effective way of escalating this action in Phase 2.  The details of any escalation will be notified well in advance of any commencement date.

We would again remind our branch officers, nurse/midwife representatives and nurse/midwife manager members that if they have any questions or queries, on the foregoing, they should contact the Organisation immediately, for assistance/clarification.

Thank you for your attention to, and adherence with, all aspects of phase one of this public sector wide campaign in response to the recent pay cuts.

Yours sincerely

______________________________
LIAM DORAN
General Secretary