Hundreds of nurses and midwives picketed outside University Hospital Galway (UHG) this week to demand fair pay and better working conditions.
As part of a massive nationwide strike public sector on Wednesday, 14 October, members of the Irish Midwives and Nurses Organization (INMO) were joined outside the region’s main hospital by workers from all healthcare professions.
“It’s an absolute disgrace,” one nurse told Galway Pulse. “We have staff leaving in droves, we have newly qualified nurses who aren’t even getting contracts.”
Another, who works in emergency care, added: “We’re seeing increasing presentations, and it’s not sustainable.”
“We want fair pay for our nurses, ” another demonstrator said, “so we can retain fair staffing and make sure the wards are staffed well to look after our patients.”
Another nurse added: “We’re out here today to voice our opinion; I don’t think it’s being heard lately. The hospital and the public sector are haemorrhaging.”
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers stated on the eve of the strike, involving an estimated 300,000 public sector workers, that pay could “absolutely” be the first part of the negotiations on a new pay deal.
This strike follows a range of industrial action by public sector unions across Ireland. Further moves by the unions could develop into another strike next Wednesday (21vOctober 21).