Nurses could be in line for special pay deal

Nurses may be in line for a special pay deal following an acceptance by Government that there are serious difficulties recruiting and retaining staff in the health service.

Agreeing there is a problem allows the new Public Service Pay Commission to inquire specifically into labour market shortages in nursing and could open the door to a special pay deal in the months ahead.

This is the first time that the public acknowledgement of a labour shortage has been made by the Government.

Under the commission’s rules it will only assess alleged difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff if there is a consensus between government and unions. This joint approach to the commission formed part of last minute talks with the unions aimed at averting a strike.

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The independent commission was formed under the Programme for Government to examine pay levels across the public service including entry levels of pay. It compares pay rates in the public service, private sector and employment practices abroad in reaching its recommendations.

Lansdowne successor

The commission is to report generally on public service pay after Easter and will form the basis of talks aimed at a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement on public pay.

The Government has put forward a funded work force plan for nursing at the talks, including a commitment to take on an additional 1,200 staff this year. However, it is understood that Government representatives have insisted that the pay commission is the only avenue available to deal with the question of remuneration.

Health management and Government representatives are understood to have been concerned at documents tabled by unions late last week which called for the widespread restoration of allowances and the re-grading of staff which some believed could, in total, have cost more than the recent €50 million agreement with gardaí .

Transport sector

Meanwhile, industrial relations problems in the transport sector appear to be growing.

The Irish Times

understands that the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) will today warn that it will ballot its members in

Dublin Bus

for strike action in the next few days unless a row over pensions is resolved.

Separately, unions at Iarnród Éireann are to press for pay rises at talks due to commence with management today. Unions had sought increases of more than 20 per cent.

Already 2,600 staff at Bus Éireann are due to commence an all-out indefinite strike from February 20th over a radical survival plan for the company which would see significant reductions in staff earnings.