Nursing members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) have voted overwhelmingly to reject proposals by the Public Service Pay Commission. PNA will now convene a special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in November with a view to seeking a mandate for industrial action, up to and including strike.
The PNA has stated that the Public Service Pay Commission Report had failed completely to understand the scale of the recruitment and retention crisis in the mental health services and the impact this is having on the delivery of services.
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes said nurses who are experiencing the impact of the staffing shortages on a daily basis were extremely disappointed with the findings of the Pay Commission and its totally inadequate proposals.
‘For the Pay Commission to conclude that there is no generalised problem in recruiting and retaining nurses at a time when the PNA has identified 700 nursing vacancies in mental health services across the country has clearly angered nurses and that anger is reflected in today’s ballot result.’
‘PNA will now convene its NEC to seek a mandate for industrial action. We are calling on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to engage with us ahead of that process in order to find a meaningful resolution and realistic proposals to address the nurse recruitment and retention crisis in mental health services.’
Media Contacts: Derek Cunningham 086-2430535