Labour Youth Press Release on Nurses dispute
national |
worker & community struggles and protests |
press release 
Saturday April 07, 2007 22:50
by Labour Youth
The following Press Release was issued by Labour Youth on Wednesday April 4th.
Labour Youth expresses solidarity with nurses in industrial dispute
Labour Youth today affirmed its support for the ‘work to rule’ industrial action undertaken by the 40,000 members of the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association which began today.
Speaking on the issue Labour Youth Chairperson Patrick Nulty said ‘The nurses who work in our health service provide a highly professional, skilled and invaluable public service to this country’
‘Their request for a 10% wage increase and a 35 hour working week is a reasonable and affordable claim. We believe that public servants provide excellent service to the Irish state and deserve to be paid well for their work”
“There is no question that the blame for this dispute must fall fairly and squarely on the shoulders of the government and the minister for health who has shown complete disregard for the public service ethos of nurses and the reasonable and dignified stance of the nursing union leadership”
ENDS
For further information contact Patrick Nulty Labour Youth Chair at 087 9688259.
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Fair dues to LY
What about Rabbitte?
I'm sure the Nurses and Midwives will welcome all support. However questions have to be raised about Labour's real position. Is this LY press release giving Labour some "left cover"? I've not heard one word of support for them in the past weeks from the Labour Party. But I do remember when Labour had Minister of Health Brendan Howlin. He completely opposed Nurses' demands then. I don't think they'll be any different if in power with FF or FG in June. Nurses don't vote for FF/PD or FG/Labour!
another letter to the Irish Times then...? Maybe you should put on letter writing workshops so that we can all get involved. Thats truly the way forward.
So far Sinn Féin are as far as I know the only party to come out in favour of the nurses claims. A motion to this effect was passed at the ard fheis and a number of prominent figures in the party spoke in favour including Ó Caoláin and Adams. Its great to see this from LY but Liz McManus's recent inability to support the nurses on Q&A over shadows it for me, a student nurse. That said keep up the good work LY.
Gerry Adams made a very clear statement of support for the nurses at the Sinn Féin Easter commemoration in Dublin yesterday (to loud applause), and Mary Lou McDonald has attended the protest demos at the Mater.
The nurses claims are reasonable and the fact that they are not being supported by the establishment parties speaks volumes.
Heres the link to the Irish Socialist Network statement of support for the Nurses:
http://www.irishsocialist.net/
I fear the government is setting the Nurses up as a fall guy with regard the Health debacle. Having read much commentary in the MMS over the weekend, the current reporting seems to s constant string of vilification accusing Nurses of holding patients as hostages in an ultra cynical manner to pry open profit off the new wealth generated by 'ordinary people' during the Celtic tiger.
Ill-researched comparisons to the NHS are made, to solicitors salaries????, to bench-marking, value for money, incompetence, laziness, evil money grabbing nurses tormenting the public with their unco-operation on and on...
Simply astonishing propaganda.
Over on Politics.ie they go further, calling for the lot of them to be sacked and replaced with the intemperate Philipino variety who will gladly work a 100 hours a week for half the price.
What a shower of pig-headed ungrateful self-absorbed bastards.
.
Apologies folks...that shoul of coures read 'temperate' not 'intermperate'
Apologies for the other type o's. Typing very fast
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.