Nurses Strike

[dubnut]

Did they not say this morning they wanted the 35hr week AND the 10% guaranteed before they would talk??

*not making a point its a genuine question, was only half listening to the radio!

[lynchbhoy]

Did they not say this morning they wanted the 35hr week AND the 10% guaranteed before they would talk??
*not making a point its a genuine question, was only half listening to the radio!

didnt hear, they prob have now upped the ante in the negotiation as they got what they were originally looking for.

I know my sis and a few colleagues dont exactly think much of union rep/ spokesperson - Liam Doran (I think his name is)

[Bogball XV]

Its a skilled job,
why should they get paid less than a lot of these wet behind the ears 'nothing careers' (marketing/sales/advertising/insurance etc etc etc)

If the figures quoted on primetime are correct, they do get substantially more than many in the careers you outlined.

Whoever said that they earn 56k on average is talking pure horseshit. My wife is a nurse and while not a ward sister is quite senior on her ward with few above her but plenty below.

If it's horseshit, then why didn't the nurses union guy challenge the figure when primetime were bandying it about in his presence?  He seemed to accept it as accurate!

[bingobus]

I don't know why he didn't but I know that some HSE guy was challenged about it by Pat the Plank on the Radio yesterday.

Listen if the average Nurse is earning 56k then fair play to them. But its not the case. If you don't believe me I really don't care, It pure shite. I have my wifes P60 to prove it and other posters would also be aware of what some nurses earn as pointed out.

I also do some work for people who spouses are nurses and they earn close to 56k but they are specialist nurses at the top level. But they are the exception rather than the average.

I did one part of my post wrong, the Admin staff in the Hospitals don't work 35 hours, its 33 hours which includes their tea breaks.

[dubnut]

Listen if the average Nurse is earning 56k then fair play to them. But its not the case. If you don't believe me I really don't care, It pure shite. I have my wifes P60 to prove it and other posters would also be aware of what some nurses earn as pointed out.

Bingobus if this is the case then they are being badly let down by the guys representing them in the media.
I havent heard one person denying it so far.

If what you say is true and I was a nurse, I'd be fuming as no-one has pointed this out.
Its the 56K figure thats being bandied about thats losing them a lot of sympathy, if this is unjustly then its an awful shame.

[lynchbhoy]

I don't know why he didn't but I know that some HSE guy was challenged about it by Pat the Plank on the Radio yesterday.

Listen if the average Nurse is earning 56k then fair play to them. But its not the case. If you don't believe me I really don't care, It pure shite. I have my wifes P60 to prove it and other posters would also be aware of what some nurses earn as pointed out.

I also do some work for people who spouses are nurses and they earn close to 56k but they are specialist nurses at the top level. But they are the exception rather than the average.

I did one part of my post wrong, the Admin staff in the Hospitals don't work 35 hours, its 33 hours which includes their tea breaks.

I will say Bingobus that you mentioned a few things that could or should be addressed

Nurses doing work that they shouldnt be doing is a big problem
Booking ambulences, organising patients to travel places that hospital porters shoul dbe doing - except hospital cut backs mean less porters and therfore nurses have to pick up the slack for this and other non nursing jobs.

I know the sister told me that when the beacon clinic/hospital opened, it took a savage amount of nurses away from Tallaght, Vincents and southern Dub hospitals.
There are two new hospitals opening up - Hermitage clinic in Liffey Valley and in a year or two some other hospital in Santry.
These will take more nurses from town/cappagh/Blanch/crumlin
reason being - the new clinics are better equipped, better staffed, therefore better conditions and dont have the same manic state that the current hospitals have (Tallaght, Mater, Blanch,Vincents, Crumlin etc etc).
Agency or foreign nurses will have to be employed by these hospitals to cover for the departing nurses - this is a loss to continuity, healthcare etc.

this underlines the nurses argument that its improved working conditions they want most, the extra money - well I think this is being opportunistic by their union.

[fearglasmor]

Two strange pieces of news on the radio this morning.

"Nurses have declared their work to rule is successful due to the disruption caused to patients at numerous hospitals yesterday"

Is it just me or was the image being portrayed one of nurses going around high fiving at their patients expense.


"Nurses have refused a request from Crumlin Childrens hospital to exempt them from the current work to rule"

mmmmm...  innocent defenceless children being callously victimised by nurses in pursuit of their claims for more money.


When you get to the core of what they do, it's hard to argue that they don't deserve far better conditions than they currently have,  but in terms of a propoganda war they look to be slipping badly and need to change their tactics.

[Sky Blue]

The union are certainly losing the PR war. Many I work with are losing sympathy fast.
A work to rule is the lazy trade unionists way out. Withdraw your labour like men and be done with it. Walk out the door and don't return until agreement is reach. There will have to be a compromise eventually.
All this work to rule is about having your cake and eating it - cause pain to patients but keep your full pay. A seeky, underhand way to run a dispute that shows a lack of balls.
If they were on strike without pay the public would rally round. As it is they look selfish and mean.

[bingobus]

Listen if the average Nurse is earning 56k then fair play to them. But its not the case. If you don't believe me I really don't care, It pure shite. I have my wifes P60 to prove it and other posters would also be aware of what some nurses earn as pointed out.

Bingobus if this is the case then they are being badly let down by the guys representing them in the media.
I havent heard one person denying it so far.

If what you say is true and I was a nurse, I'd be fuming as no-one has pointed this out.
Its the 56K figure thats being bandied about thats losing them a lot of sympathy, if this is unjustly then its an awful shame.

As was previously pointed out by a poster a lot of nurses don't like Liam Doran as their spokesperson. As for where these figures came from, I'm not sure but I think it was the HSE who have released them. She did say that the nurses she works have asked for the true figures to be outlined in the media and haev requested individual case studies of "average"  nurses be released to the media through the INO to dismiss these figures.

[Gnevin]

When you get to the core of what they do, it's hard to argue that they don't deserve far better conditions than they currently have,  but in terms of a propoganda war they look to be slipping badly and need to change their tactics.

Condition yes but they never just go out for that , they always tack on a demand for some increase , they are nearly as bad as the lads who wanted more cash for driving a bigger dart

[pintsofguinness]

Two strange pieces of news on the radio this morning.

"Nurses have declared their work to rule is successful due to the disruption caused to patients at numerous hospitals yesterday"

Is it just me or was the image being portrayed one of nurses going around high fiving at their patients expense.


"Nurses have refused a request from Crumlin Childrens hospital to exempt them from the current work to rule"

mmmmm...  innocent defenceless children being callously victimised by nurses in pursuit of their claims for more money.

If you don't want them taking strike action because of the "defenceless children" what do you think they should do? 

[An Gaeilgoir]

This strike is systematic of most of the public sector.Unions holding the Gov. to ransom and if they dont get what they want...no matter how unfeasible it is.................strike...look at Aer Lingus,the train drivers who wanted more money to drive new trains,nurses,decentralisation of civil servants.I work for a private company,i dont get"extra for living in Dublin" or extra for implementing new procedures and if they company was to relocate to a different part of the country well id have the choice move to the new base or leave...why does it have to be so different for all our public service workers?

[tyronie]

A nurse's/ student midwife opinion.........

It is with complete anger and fury that i have read some of the above arrogant and ill-informed posts! I trained for four years in general nursing and worked for two years in the medical division in Beaumont hospital (now working in maternity in drogheda)and the first thing i would tell anyone considering becoming a nurse is - Don't do it!

There is no way that any of my peers earned anywhere near 56k. I constantly felt under severe pressure both on duty and when i left after my 13hr shift  - even as a junior nurse i was left in charge of a ward of 35 patient - many critically ill. i had to liase with doctors, other members of the multidisciplinary team and families as well as provide the more important basic nursing care to the patient. In the dublin hospitals, from my experience, retention of nurse's is a major problem and there is an increasing foreign national workforce being recruited. Many girls i worked with have give up nursing altogether because f the demands made on them.
Also is it fair that a fully trained nusre is in charge of a ward and yet those who are answerable to her and whom she takes responsibility for are paid much more than her?

In my relatively short career i have been regularly verbally abused, been bruised by patients, had severe back pain and left work in tears. Most nurse's will paint a similar picture if not worse (and i have heard much worse).

In the last week from my own experience i have found that we have had much more time to spend with patients on hands on nursing care - rather than spend an age on administration and telephone enquiries.

I find it really hard to understand how people who work in totally different fields can comment on anyone else's job. i know i couldn't start commenting on what a teacher, accountant, engineer, farmer etc do because only they truly now the pressures on them. it is extremley arrogant for anyone to listen to the spin from either side of an argument and decide they know it all. Please try to understand that the PR wheels are in action on both sides!

[Hardy]

Edit: Sorry - wrong thread.

[ludermor]

Tyronie,
What exactly did yu expect to be doing when you started nursing?