ONE OF THE biggest unions which rejected the Croke Park II pay deal has recommended that its members accept its successor, the proposed ‘Haddington Road’ deal.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said this evening that it had been a ‘very difficult decision’ but that it believed that the deal is the best possible available.
The INMO’s executive council, which met this evening to decide what to recommend to members, said there were a number of issues with the Haddington Road deal, most notably the increase in working hours for nurses and midwives, which it said would continue to be a source of frustration to members. It also cited problems with the controversial graduate recruitment scheme which offered jobs to recent graduates at a rate below the usual starting salary.
However in a statement, it said that any alternative to the deal was likely to be worse than what was currently on offer.
“This was a very difficult decision for my executive council to make but the choices are very stark, ” said Liam Doran, the general secretary of the INMO.
“The improvements secured, following the rejection of previous proposals, are significant and fully justified the successful campaign for a No vote in April.” He added:
The executive council feels that these are the best set of proposals which can be obtained through negotiation, and much better than the government’s alternative draconian legislation.
The measures in the new deal will now be put to the membership in a ballot with the result to be known by Friday 21 June.
SIPTU, the country’s biggest trade union and one of the unions which voted against the Croke Park II deal, has recommended its members accept the new deal, while two teachers unions – the ASTI and TUI – have rejected the deal, saying it isn’t sufficiently different from Croke Park II to change their minds.
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