Sir, - The junior doctors' situation is purely a question of economics. If all employers paid less, the more their employees worked, they too would demand increased hours from their staff.
Until the doctors are paid overtime rates of time and a half, double time and higher as in all other branches of employment, the HSEA and thereby the Government, will continue to procrastinate and delay. The employment of more staff in order to eliminate the high cost of overtime will of itself eliminate the punitive hours worked by junior doctors.
Shift work and unsocial hours will always remain as a necessity in order to allow the hospitals to function correctly but the cases of the public's health being put at risk by a doctors having worked longer than normal safety limits demand should have been eliminated.
As I understand their claim, they do not seek an increase in basic pay, merely payment in line with other industries for extra hours worked over and above the standard working week. - Yours, etc.,
Stuart Murray, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.