The Labour Court recommended that the Health Service Executive pay members of the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association a disputed 3% increase from 1 December 2006. The recommendation was signed on 20 September 2007.
The unions sought the increase retrospectively, saying their members had taken part in the relevant modernisation and change programmes. The Health Service Executive argued that the increase should apply only from the dates each union accepted the Towards 2016 agreement: 25 May 2007 for the Irish Nurses Organisation and 6 June 2007 for the Psychiatric Nurses' Association.
The Court said the agreement entitled the unions to the increase from 1 December 2006. It found that withholding payment from that date could only be done under specified procedures, which had not been invoked. The Court also said the unions had cooperated with the health sector action plan to the same degree as other unions. It recommended payment of the increase from the earlier date.