As you are aware the INMO, and the other Unions have been objecting to the employment control process currently in place, referred to by the HSE as “Pay & Numbers Strategy”. As a result of this Pay & Numbers Strategy posts within the services which you work are not being filled or replaced. In addition, the number of staff within your Departments and Units is being further reduced by the number of vacancies that existed but were not occupied within the HSE at the end of December 2023.
The Executive Council of the INMO met on the 5th of September 2024 and sanctioned balloting of members for industrial action to address this issue in services comprehended by the Pay and Numbers Strategy. The approach taken to the Pay & Numbers Strategy is having a detrimental effect on frontline services. As a result of these posts left vacant there are increasing demands being placed on you, by HSE Management requiring staff to work on days off, stay on for significant unpaid periods after rostered shift ends and deal with increasing levels of frustration by the public who are waiting longer for services.
Our priority is to end this recruitment moratorium so that Directors of Nursing and Midwifery have appropriate sanction to recruit and fill posts as necessary to ensure safety and to meet service demand. This will ensure that there is safe staffing at the bed side.
We will be commencing regional and workplace meetings and balloting for industrial action from this week. It is our intention to conduct the balloting over several weeks to ensure as many members as possible have the opportunity to ballot, and you will be advised locally when balloting is occurring in your service
The Executive Council of the INMO are recommending that you vote in favour of Industrial Action to give the strongest mandate possible.