Labour Court recommends talks on St Vincent’s radiology nurses’ on-call allowance

The Labour Court recommended that St. Vincent's University Hospital and the Irish Nurses' Organisation resume negotiations on a special on-call allowance for radiology nurses. The recommendation was dated 9 April 2003. The union sought parity with nurses in the National Liver Transplant Programme, citing staffing shortages and demanding on-call commitments. Management disputed that the special rates applied to radiology nurses and said proposed national rates might cover them. The Court said the parties should clarify whether the allowance was temporary or permanent and whether the national proposals covered the nurses; unresolved issues should go to third-party adjudication.