Nurses to strike over pay cut

Nurses at Dublin's Mater Private Hospital are to take strike action from Monday February 1 in protest at pay cuts.

The INMO and SIPTU unions say the action is being taken as a response to imposed pay cuts of between 5% and 7.5% in basic pay, and a 5% reduction in allowances.

The INMO said as the Mater Private was a profit making organisation, these "imposed, unagreed, pay cuts" were illegal and unnecessary.

INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Albert Murphy claimed the pay cuts are totally unnecessary and the nursing unions would continue to seek their removal.

"We believe that this is an example of cheap opportunism, where an employer seeks to exploit the long-standing goodwill of employees,” Mr Murphy said.

[Posted: Mon 18/01/2010]