Nurses and midwives are being asked to “do more and more and more with less and less and less”, Shirley English of the Waterford Branch said, while calling on delegates to embark on a campaign in 2015 to reinstate all rights, entitlements, benefits and the 37.5-hour working week, immediately the Haddington Road agreement expires.

“I look forward to our deliverance from Haddington Road but as with all positive outcomes, preparation is the key,” she said. “With a team approach and our collective strength and resolve, we can ensure that 2015 is the start of payback time. Let us support the campaign in 2015 in its endeavour to rectify the wrongs that have been imposed upon us by reinstating our rights and entitlements.”

Mary Leahy, Executive Council and Galway Branch said: “Productivity has increased and increased substantially. Nurses have given up on average over 17% of salary over three pay cuts. We have lost over 5,000 colleagues in the frontline. We have taken on brutally demanding and ever increasing workloads. We are not in the production line of a factory, we are dealing with human life.

“We have delivered. We will be demanding the reinstatement of our pay and a reduction of hours back to our 37.5-hour week. I call on every nurse and midwife to get in behind this campaign with every cell of energy they have.”

The motion was passed unanimously.

ADC - Get set to win return of 37.5-hour week