THE IRISH NURSES and Midwives Organisation (INMO) plans to ballot its members on whether to take industrial action if progress is not achieved in a public sector pay dispute.

The union has pointed to persistent inflation and the rising cost of living as sources of strain for nurses and midwives, who cannot alleviate costs such as childcare or fuel by working from home. 

A meeting of the INMO Executive Council decided that it would begin balloting nurses and midwives who are public sector employees for potential industrial action.

The union accused the government of failing to renegotiate the current public sector pay deal with a “palatable offer” on pay. 

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that the decision to ballot members is “not one that is taken lightly” but that the “refusal of Government as the employer to act on spiralling cost of living has left us with very little choice”.

Ní Sheaghdha said talks have been suspended since 17 June and that inflation reached a high of 9.1% in the meantime.

“Fuel continues to remain extremely expensive, rents continue to rise and childcare costs equal that of a second mortgage,” she said.

Nurses and midwives do not get to opt out of these costs or find ways to cut corners as working from home is not an option.

“The current offer on the table will do very little to bridge the gap between the real pay of nurses and midwives and cost of living increases. If we are serious about maintaining and expanding the current nursing and midwifery workforce then as the employer, Government must come forward with a realistic solution.

“Nurses and midwives are facing another difficult winter, the commitment shown since February 2020 when this pandemic hit should of itself have led to a realistic pay offer by Government last June, and it is time to stand together with other public servants and show that this treatment of public servants is simply not acceptable.”

The union plans to hold a week-long pre-ballot information campaign from Wednesday.

Balloting for industrial action would then start on 1 September unless the government makes a “meaningful offer”.

In late 2018, 95% of INMO members voted in favour of striking due to a dispute over pay and staff shortages.

Around 37,000 nurses and midwives engaged in strikes during the first several months 2019, which ended in May of that year when workers decided to accept proposals offered by the government.