The INMO has launched today (Monday) its co-operation agreement with Migrant Nurses Ireland, an organisation that supports Indian nurses and works closely with the INMO overseas section to support the wider community of migrant nurses in improving their welfare and accessing union support as workers in Ireland.
The agreement will be launched by the Indian Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Mr Sandeep Kumar, at 12.30 pm today.
INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha and INMO President Karen McGowan said:
We are delighted to be a part of this initiative and to continue to strengthen the union’s support of our nursing and midwifery colleagues from around the world. 49% of new nursing and midwifery registrants in Ireland in 2019 were from outside the EU, and nurses and midwives from India and from all over the world are central to our healthcare community and our frontline workforce. We have a responsibility to ensure that employers and state bodies fulfill their duties to these workers.
A crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic really highlights the complex challenges faced by migrant nurses in Ireland, and the importance of solidarity and community support in overcoming those challenges. The INMO has a vital role to play in this, and one that we welcome and take seriously.
The spokesperson for Migrant Nurses Ireland, Mr Varghese Joy said:
Our aim is to help bring our colleagues into a trade union culture and ensure a strong relationship between the Indian nurses’ community and other migrant nurses and the INMO. We want to ensure that migrant nurses and midwives can access the support of their union and that they are made fully aware of their rights.
H.E. Mr Sandeep Kumar stated:
We welcome the strong support that the INMO has shown, and continues to show, for the community of Indian nurses and midwives in Ireland. We hope that this agreement will support more Indian workers to develop rewarding careers in the Irish health service, and encourage leadership and growth within this highly skilled and invaluable workforce.