More than 100 nurses staged a lunchtime demonstration outside University Hospital Galway on Monday in protest over the fact that a shorter working week - due to be put in place in June - has not been implemented at UHG and Merlin Park hospitals.
The nurses, all members of the Irish Nurses’ Organisation, are “angry” and “frustrated” that they are still working 39 hours instead of the new 37.5 working week which came about after the national nurses’ dispute of 2007.
Regina Durcan, industrial relations officer with the INO in the west, says the delay in implementing the new working week is “doing nothing to make nurses feel valued”.
“The national agreement for nurses nationwide meant that their hours were reduced from 39 to 37.5 a week from June 1 2008. This has been implemented in most hospitals [nationwide]. The protest was organised to highlight that the agreement has not been implemented at Galway University Hospitals - Merlin Park and University Hospital.
“Nurses are very frustrated and angry. This affects 1,400 nurses in Galway, mainly at UHG and Merlin Park hospitals. When you work 39 hours and know you should be working 37.5 you get a bit frustrated. By the end of this month they will be owed 24 hours. We have had Labour Relations Commission intervention, we had two meetings with the HSE West. [Hospital] management need to implement this agreement, there doesn’t seem to me to be any will to implement it. We want the 37.5 hour week straight away. It should have been done by 1st June.”
Ms Durcan says the reason why the agreement cannot be implemented at the Galway city hospitals is because they are not replacing staff who go on maternity leave due to budgetary constaints.
“The staff doing the rosters say all they need is 13 extra staff - 13 of the people on maternity leave to be replaced - to implement the 37.5 s hour week.”
A spokesperson for the HSE West says Galway University Hospitals are committed to implementing the nationally agreed 37 1/2 hour working week for all nurses and midwives.
“Hospital management are currently in discussions with nursing unions with the assistance of the Labour Relations Commission to effect its introduction within the agreed national parameters with a view to having the new rosters in place at the earliest opportunities.”
