Labour Court recommends temporary twilight roster arrangement at Tallaght hospital

The Labour Court recommended that Irish Nurses Organisation members cooperate with The Adelaide and Meath Hospital Dublin, Incorporating the National Children's Hospital Tallaght, Dublin 24, over a proposed twilight roster for up to three months while the hospital filled a vacancy. The recommendation was signed on 6 April 2009. The union sought withdrawal of the roster, which covers the hours from 8pm to 1am. It argued that adding those hours to existing rosters would increase staff’s unsocial hours and reduce nursing cover at other times. The hospital said the change was driven by service needs and that staff had raised concerns about inadequate resourcing and patient safety. The Court said it could not condone non-compliance with agreed grievance procedures, while recognising union members’ frustration over the unfilled vacancy. It also recommended that the hospital fill the vacancy.