NI nurses to be balloted on strike action

Nurses in Northern Ireland are to be balloted on whether they should take strike action regarding a current staffing crisis.

The ballot, a private vote, will take place from 9 October and asks nurses whether action should be taken.

There are nearly 3,000 unfilled nursing posts across the system in Northern Ireland.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN),whose members are being balloted, argues that pay within the health service in Northern Ireland falls behind the rest of the UK with real pay for nurses falling by 15% over the last eight years.

Director of the RCN in Northern Ireland, Pat Cullen said: “The time has come when our members are saying clearly to us that they can no longer continue to work under the current conditions.

“The palpable sense of disillusionment and even anger amongst RCN members in Northern Ireland over staffing and pay continues to grow.

Ms Cullen continued: “We all know that nurses in Northern Ireland can go anywhere in the world to work. To date,pay discussions have been unsuccessful and there is now nothing to keep our newly-qualified nurses at home.

"As a profession, we are no longer prepared to tolerate the risk that low staffing levels pose to patients, nursing staff, and the people of Northern Ireland.

“No nurse that I know would ever want to take industrial action but we have simply been left with no choice – it’s a sad day for nursing in Northern Ireland when it has come to this.”