ICTU considers pickets at health board hospitals

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) met this morning to discuss a submission from the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) to mount all-out pickets outside health boards' hospitals.

The IMO called for the move to support the 270 striking public health doctors, who are now in their seventh week of their industrial action over pay and conditions.

If ICTU allows the pickets at health board-run facilities, all hospital staff, including non-medical workers, would be asked not to cross the picket line.

An ICTU spokesman said they had agreed in principle to the request, saying the general consensus was that the IMO had "been treated appallingly" by the Government.

However, he said the other main unions representing health service workers - namely SIPTU, INO and IMPACT - have been asked to go and consult their membership before a final decision on strike action is given.

If permission is granted, all the unions involved would have to ballot their members. SIPTU, the biggest health service union, has 38,000 members, the INO 29,000 members and IMPACT 25,000 members. The process could take several weeks.

Up until now, the striking doctors have been picketing outside acute hospitals in Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick, Naas, Sligo, Tullamore and Waterford. They are also protesting outside health board offices and the National Disease Surveillance Centre.

The doctors are responsible for monitoring the incidence and spread of infectious diseases, including SARS, influenza, measles and meningitis, within local communities. They also organise vaccination programmes for children.

They have accused the Government and the Health Service Employers Agency (HSEA) of failing to table any meaningful offer since their dispute began in early April.

The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, attacked the doctors at the IMO annual conference in Killarney last month. He said the IMO was in breach of the latest pay deal, Sustaining Progress.

Mr Martin accused them of putting lives at risk by their action and called on the IMO to meet the HSEA for talks at the Labour Court. Talks were held three weeks ago, but failed to resolve the dispute.