Just because somebody asks for something for 27 years it does not follow that they should get it.However, in respect of the nurses, Their demands have been in the public arena for a very, very long time, and frustration has reached boiling point. Who else has had to wait 27 years for a recommendation on working hours to be implemented. That's more than half a working life time...and still waiting!
Can you give examples?Who else is expected to have supervisory control and management responsibility for employees who receive more money for less hours and are less qualified...and be happy about it?
Nurses get shift and weekend allowances in line with Gardaí, prison officers and fire brigade personnel. The allowances are also pensionable. There are other perks like career breaks, paid sick days, a short working week (39 hours) by private sector standards, job security etc. As for a 50% pension, no public sector pension scheme is self funding therefore nurses pay is effectively topped up by X amount in the form of a pension payment. Benchmarking is expected to keep workers happy because they signed up to it and should have the integrity to honour their own agreements.Why is the holy grail of 'bench-marking' expected to keep workers happy when it perpetuates the perceived pay inequalities between different public sector employees which they seek to have remedied? Any public sector job will be looked at enviously by those who do not have the same benefits (the grass is always greener...) but a 50% pension for a full 40 years service isn't that hectic, and there are no bonuses, no other benefits, weekend shifts, 12 hour days, night shifts etc,
More stressful than the Gardaí, who are expected to put themselves in harms way or the fire service who are expected to enter burning buildings?But that's only one part of this issue. One of the most important issues is the stressful working conditions which are endured.
No they don’t. Nurses are neither qualified or expected to make any life and death decisions. Ever. They may have to assist the doctor who is dealing with the situation but that’s not the same thing.These people deal with life and death situations daily,
I agree but that’s the nature of the job and they knew that when they took it on.if you are the type of person who is compassionate enough to want to work in an area that provides care and help for people who are ill and at their most vulnerable, you don't necessarily become immune to it, you just have to cope with more and more of it.
How about asking for more staff at the existing wages (some of the highest in Europe) instead of a 25% hourly pay rise.And when you get really angry and fed up that there are not enough staff to help you cope with the increasing workload, and you are forced to decide to either stay on and persevere (and hopefully get rewarded adequately for your efforts), or quit, and you are criticised by those who have never worked in similar circumstances....what would you do?
I never said they had an easy lifestyle. I simply suggested that they have had pay increases far above the average for the last 10 years and a 25% hourly rate increase is unreasonable and would be economically suicidal for this country as there would be a knock on through the whole public sector.Try working for one day in their shoes and then feel free to criticise them for their easy lifestyle and "greed" for more pay. Alternatively, let them throw in the towel completely and see what's left afterwards. I, for one, would not (COULD not) do what they do, and I think they deserve everything they are demanding. But that's just my opinion!
Just because somebody asks for something for 27 years it does not follow that they should get it.
How about asking for more staff at the existing wages (some of the highest in Europe) instead of a 25% hourly pay rise.
It was recommended that they get it 27 years ago!
Just because somebody asks for something for 27 years it does not follow that they should get it..
"Can you give examples?.
Benchmarking is expected to keep workers happy because they signed up to it and should have the integrity to honour their own agreements. .
More stressful than the Gardaí, who are expected to put themselves in harms way or the fire service who are expected to enter burning buildings?.
No they don’t. Nurses are neither qualified or expected to make any life and death decisions. Ever. They may have to assist the doctor who is dealing with the situation but that’s not the same thing..
I agree but that’s the nature of the job and they knew that when they took it on..
How about asking for more staff at the existing wages (some of the highest in Europe) instead of a 25% hourly pay rise..
I never said they had an easy lifestyle. I simply suggested that they have had pay increases far above the average for the last 10 years and a 25% hourly rate increase is unreasonable and would be economically suicidal for this country as there would be a knock on through the whole public sector.
Are you certain about the pensionability issue? I was speaking to another healthcare worker recently (not a nurse) whose main gripe was that her shift allowances (which make up 30%-40% of her take home pay) were not pensionable.Nurses get shift and weekend allowances in line with Gardaí, prison officers and fire brigade personnel. The allowances are also pensionable.
Are you certain about this - the comparison is between earnings not wages on both sides so it's a fair comparison - 54k earnings for the nurses 32k earnings for the industrial workers.The wool pulling relates to the comparison of the figure calculated in this way to the 'average industrial wage'
The unfairness relates to the selection of individuals to be included in the calculation. On the nurses side, they included Directors of Nursing and other senior staff. On the industry side, I strongly suspect that they did NOT include production directors and operation managers etc.Are you certain about this - the comparison is between earnings not wages on both sides so it's a fair comparison - 54k earnings for the nurses 32k earnings for the industrial workers.
Ireland has 13 nurses per 1000 population. France,1 of the countries we aspire to match in terms of a health service, has a rate of 7 per 1000!!!!
The 35 hour week is crippling France and it's economy. The new president is going to have to tackle this when elected if France is to regain competitiveness. And what is happening in Ireland right now.....certain areas of the public service are on 35 hours and the rest are scrambling to join them. And them all in their secure jobs with fantastic pensions!!!
Here's a suggestion then - get all those who are on 35 hours now to go back to 39 (like the nurses). I'm sure they'll all agree easily enough! Otherwise, don't give the nurses a hard time for wanting the same working hours as their OT, speech therapist, physio colleagues, etc. They're all degree educated after all, and don't tell me that their responsibilities are less important than their counterparts mentioned above (no disrespect to them whatsoever).
Let's not expect to get balanced views from Mark Coleman or Constantin Gurdgiev both of whom earn their living by taking fairly extreme right-wing positions on all matters.Was it Marc Brehony of the Irish Times .....article that Constatin Gurdgiev had in the Sunday Tribune on 27th March about our inefficient public service,
Let's not expect to get balanced views from Mark Coleman or Constantin Gurdgiev both of whom earn their living by taking fairly extreme right-wing positions on all matters.
I would not describe them as taking fairly extreme right-wing positions on all matters. I quote from above :
"Effectively, these numbers mean that if public services, like health, were delivered with the same efficiency as the average productivity attained in private sector, Ireland could have had the same quality of health services for approximately 57% less in public expenditure"
The study was conducted by the University of Groningen with support from the EU.
Here's a suggestion then - get all those who are on 35 hours now to go back to 39 (like the nurses).
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