Irish Examiner website today-nurses

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JohnnyBoy

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If anybody wants a laugh,check out article in Irish Examiner website today re rights for nurses to attend festivals,in particular paid half days to attend the Galway races!!!!!
 
From the article
employers argued that they withdrew the concessionary half-days because it was only intended to give them to clerical and administrative staff. They said the HSE-West already gave three other concessionary days to its registered general nurses and it was not in a position to extend the number of such days.
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Three other concessiopnay days... I wonder who they were benchmarked against for that?
 
The key point of the article was that the employer attempted to change established custom & practice without any discussion or negotiation. As the INO spokesperson said “If the employer wishes to change an agreement or well-established practice, this should be done through negotiation and agreement.”
 
JohnnyBoy said:
For me the key point was that nurses took paid leave to attend the Galway Races.
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Depends on your POV - Some would say that nurses were given paid leave.....
 
Given or took, it doesn't matter.
The point is that when an utterly indefensible work practice was changes they did what they do best; they threatened to walk out. How can they defend their position especially in the context of the so-called “national crisis” in the health service?
 
The [broken link removed] makes no mention of any threatened walk out. From reading the article, it seems that the nurses used the established IR procedures - something which management had clearly failed to do.

It would seem like a slight exaggeration to imply that the failings of our health services are due to a few nurses taking a few half days. Responsibility for the failings of our health services lie much higher up the chain of command.
 
RainyDay said:
It would seem like a slight exaggeration to imply that the failings of our health services are due to a few nurses taking a few half days.
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It would seem a slight exaggeration to imply that I implied that the failings of our health services are due to a few nurses taking a few half days.

RainyDay said:
Responsibility for the failings of our health services lie much higher up the chain of command.
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I would suggest that the bulk of the responsibility lies much higher up the chain but I disagree that the nurses, and their union in particular, is without blame.
I don't for a minute agree that the failings in the health service are mostly the fault of this or any other minister for health. That is the usual line trotted out by those with a vested interest in resisting change, those charged with running the service for the most part. But that little rant is off topic...
 
I have 2 agree with purple.The original purpose for my thread was to have a little laugh at our banana republic,certainly not a dig at nurses!(however I think this situation in Galway is ridiculous!
As regards the health service-I honestly think I could sort it out(but I would be forced to resign after a week).
A couple of things,I would like to point out(just in case there is any would-be -dictator out there who was planning a coup & was short a minister for health!).
1.Health everywhere in the world is a black hole for money & there will never be enough money,so Ireland isn't unique.A good example occurred in the UK(which has a damn fine health service) in the last couple of months ago;a woman who has breast cancer won the right from her local health authority to have a treatment for breast ca which isn't licensed & costs a stack of cash.The Health Authority argued(absolutely correctly) that finite cash means that if we fund this drug here,others will lose out.However media(who love any health scandals) got on the bandwagon & the woman won
2.Health should become apolitical & not be a political football.(The granting of medical cards to all over 70s,irrespective of means testing)-mind boggles at this inequality.If something is for free,people wont appreciate it.Therefore anybody who encounters the health service should pay a nominal fee.
3.Budgets have not caught up with technology & specifically pharmaceuticals.These companies have to be stood up to as te amount we spend on drugs is just nonsensical.
4.As regards the nurses,they have damn tough job(& don't get paid appropriately for it),however when they & their unions go whinging to the media about A&E waiting times,they have a hidden agenda & they are not acting altogether altruistically.
5.We get what we deserve,you'll always hear somebody ringing Joe Duffy complaining about the health service & yet they'll be the ones who
a)vote the same shower back in, b)wont vote c)having the service for free.
Anyway, rant over!

4.
 
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