Labour Court urges talks on Cobh hospital nurses’ pension scheme

The Labour Court recommended that Cobh General Hospital and the HSE expedite discussions on a pension scheme for nurses. Its recommendation, signed on 10 July 2006, said the claim could return to the Court for a definitive recommendation if the discussions did not resolve it to the union’s satisfaction. The Irish Nurses Organisation sought a scheme equivalent to the Public Service Pension, with retrospective effect. The Court said it was alarmed that nurses with more than 20 years’ health-sector service had no occupational pension entitlements. The hospital had said it lacked funding to introduce a scheme.