The Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) said today that industrial action is inevitable if benchmarking does not deliver.
The three-day INO conference continued today with President Ms Clare Spillane warning the campaign of 1999 was only the first step.
"Anyone who thinks that nurses ‘have had their day in the sun’ is mistaken and will, if they are in management, or in government, pay a heavy price for this assessment of the current situation," Ms Spillane said.
She said if the Benchmarking Body’s report, due in June, does not recommend the concession of nurses’ pay claims, the INO will convene at a special delegate conference to finalise a strategy of countrywide industrial action.
A motion, passed by the conference yesterday, revised the union’s policy on industrial action. INO General Secretary Mr Liam Doran said: "The health employers must now realise that nurses and midwives will not be taken for granted and provide essential cover, without pay, in all situations".
In his speech to the conference, the Minister for Health. Mr Martin repeated his pledge to provide 709 beds by the end of this year and 3,000 beds over the next 10 years.
But INO Industrial Relations Officer Mr Tony Fitzpatrick said: "If there are no additional staff, then no more beds can be opened".
The INO said a minimum of 10,000 nurses must be trained to fully implement the Minister’s health strategy. There are 1,100 nursing positions vacant, and the recruitment of 1,500 nurses from overseas has not been enough to relieve the problem, the union said.
The Minister also renewed the Government pledge to introduce a new four-year pre-registration degree programme for nursing students and a new sponsor scheme to allow health services employees train as nurses.
Ms Spillane welcomed the pledge, but said the transition of nursing education to third level sector must be completed by 2003.
The INO stance was unequivocal, reminding the Minister of his party’s tag-line, "A lot done, more to do", the union said the job must now be finished without delay.