Siptu has called on the Health Service Executive to reverse a decision to recruit 1,000 graduate nurses and midwives next year at lower pay rates.
A Siptu delegation met with senior HSE officials today to discuss the scheme which has been roundly condemned by the country’s nursing unions.
Siptu sector organiser, Kevin Figgis, said the union sought a review and reversal of the proposal.
“We outlined our position that there should be direct offers of employment made to these graduates and that savings can still be made against the current expenditure on agency staff which stands at €90 million for 2012 for nursing alone,” he said.
The meeting came a day after main the main nursing unions called for a boycott of the HSE plan, which they described as “opportunistic and greedy”.
“We were informed that our concerns would be given directly to the board of the HSE at its meeting today. We also requested that the board would provide an urgent response to our demand,” Mr Figgis said.