TALKS AIMED AT averting next week’s planned one day stoppage by junior doctors were adjourned at the LRC this evening, with both sides agreeing to return to the table on Friday.
The Irish Medical Organisation, which represents the doctors, is calling for an end to shifts lasting longer than 24 hours. The union has claimed some junior doctors regularly work as many as 100 hours per week, on shifts lasting over 24 hours.
Plans for a ‘roster verification process’ were discussed by the HSE and IMO at today’s talks. According to the union, the aim of the process is to “determine whether rosters in place at local hospital level do not exceed a maximum 24 hour shift”.
Two sites will be visited this Thursday, before talks get back under way at the Labour Relations Commission the following day.
“It is critical that any proposals agreed be subject to a rigorous verification process agreed by both parties, we can only commit to proposals which can be verified at each stage of implementation,” IMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, Eric Young, said.
The threat of strike action remains in place for next Wednesday, 25 September. The IMO has promised that the action will not interfere with emergency services.
Earlier, nursing union the INMO confirmed it would back the planned stoppage, and said nurses would not carry out doctors’ work during the dispute.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say