The Socialist Party demands
PAY THE NURSES NOW! IMPLEMENT A 35 HOUR WEEK

Socialist Party leaflet - Available as a PDF here

The Socialist Party fully supports the nurses 10.6% pay claim and the demand for a 35 hour week. The Minister for Health Mary Harney’s assertion that the government cannot afford to pay this wage claim and that it "will not be paid" speaks volumes about her governments lack of support for the public health system.

While the government is pursuing increased privatisation throughout the health service, nurses continue to bear the brunt of the health crisis. The INO has done a service to society by continually highlighting the crisis in the country’s A&E departments. The Socialist Party rejects the claims by Mary Harney and the HSE that the health crisis is not caused by bed shortages or underfunding but by "bad management". The public health service is teetering on the verge of collapse due to the scrapping of thousands of hospital beds in the 80s and 90s. Bed and staff shortages and a lack of treatment facilities are at the heart of the health crisis. That 9,000 nurses have left Ireland to pursue their careers abroad is an indictment of the Fianna Fail, PD government. We have a two-tier health service and a political establishment that supports a greater development of the private health sector at the expense of the public system.

In complete contradiction to government propaganda regional HSEs are implementing cutbacks in order to meet government budget restraints that will impact on patient care, endanger lives and put even more pressure on an over stretched nursing staff.

Today’s rally is an important opportunity for nurses to highlight the legitimacy of their current claim. However there are dangers in the current strategy of the leaderships of the INO and PNA. By placing their faith in the Labour Court and the state’s arbitration services there is a real possibility that a compromise deal that falls far short of the nurses
demands will be proposed.

The workers at Irish Ferries learnt to their cost that the Labour Court, the LRC and the National Implementation Body are anti-worker and favour the employers. These bodies exist to maintain "industrial peace" at the expense of workers wages, and conditions.

There is widespread support in society for nurses and an understanding of the invaluable role they play in the health service. Instead of organising a limited rally it would have been possible for the leaders of the nurses unions to organise public rallies around the country. These rallies could have mobilised tens of thousands of nurses, health workers and members of the public to put greater pressurise on a weakened government reeling from the impact of its incompetent mistakes of the last few weeks.

At today’s rally nurses should demand a commitment from their union leaders that in the event of the Labour Court not ruling in favour of the nurses claim that a ballot for industrial action should begin immediately. In a joint INO/PNA press statement Dave Hughes and Des Kavanagh stated: "The INO and PNA are committed to maintaining industrial peace and have no intention of breaking Sustaining Progress in the final months of its existence."

In the event of an unfavourable Labour Court decision an approach of remaining within the constraints of "social partnership" and ruling out industrial action by the leaders of the INO and PNA will not achieve better pay and a shorter working week for nurses.

The health crisis is the number one issue for people. The INO, the PNA and the other health unions have an opportunity to win better pay and conditions for their members and also to mobilise hundreds of thousands of people around the country in a campaign to force this government to implement real emergency measures to end the health crisis.

The magnificient demonstrations of up to 150,000 on 9 December 2005 in support of the Irish Ferries workers are indication of the type of support the nurses and the health unions could mobilise for such a campaign.

The Socialist Party rejects the pro big business neo-liberal agenda of the right wing parties. Society should be run and organised for the needs of people not the profits of big business and the rich. If you want to find out about joining the Socialist Party or to get more information phone, email or return the form below today.

Socialist Party Demands

• Full implementation of the 10.6% wage claim, back dated for all nurses and midwives.

• A 35 hour week for all health workers without loss of pay.

• Reject "social partnership", no to the "race to the bottom" and the government’s privatisation agenda.

As a step towards free comprehensive health care for all in a public health system:

• Emergency measures to provide extra hospital beds and staff to end the A&E crisis and the waiting lists.

• End the abuse of the public health system by private medicine. Scrap the two-tier health service.

• For health clinics in all areas to provide primary medical care for all free of charge.