Irish nurses who have migrated to Australia are set to hold a demonstration this weekend to send a message of support home to striking workers.
The ‘Let’s Stand Together’ protest is expected to be attended by 100 nurses tomorrow (Saturday 19th January). The event, scheduled for near the Sydney Opera House at 11am Australian time, was organised by members of the Irish diaspora on social media.
Nurses are planning to display a large banner for a photo as a show of support for the 37,000 nurses and midwives in Ireland who are engaging in strike action at the end of the month.
INMO members in hospitals across the country are due to withdraw from labour for 24 hours on 30th January in a call for a pay increase.
Nurses and midwives will provide only lifesaving care and emergency response teams during the period of strike action.
If the dispute is not resolved, there will be further 24-hour strikes on the 5th and 7th of February, and then the 12th, 13th and 14th of February.
Ireland’s nurses and midwives face a €7,000 salary gap with their graduate colleagues, according to the INMO.
The industrial dispute centres on safe staffing in the public health service and the HSE’s inability to recruit and retain enough nurses and midwives on current wages. The INMO is calling for pay parity to address staff shortages in the sector, which would equate to a 12% across-the-board wage increase.
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