Jack O Connor on Radio 1 now

[X-ray]

Did you hear the interview, X-Ray?

The woman understood perfectly well how strike ballots work and didn't take kindly to being spoken-down to by the union official with a "its like a democracy" type of response.

Briefly her points were:

- nurses now have a legal duty-of-care to their patients and this legal obligation was not explained to her fellow members before they voted

- the back-office public sector unions should shoulder the burden of the strike rather than hiding behind the skirts of photogenic nurses

Why would a union official that probably drove a bus for a living explain to a nurse what his or her legal obligations are in a medical sense?
Nurses are not thick and they are not going to let patients die to take industrial action.

This is the start of this rubbish now. I am in a similar boat to nurses, I cannot totally withdraw my labour given the effect it would have. That will be a professional decision we make, but we can take industrial action.

Nobody is forcing or nurses of anyone else to do anything, there will be a vote and a majority. If you do not want to be part of the union action leave it and go into work as normal.

I did not hear the interview and I don't want to, its black and white. If you accept her position nurses should never ballot for industrial action.

I cant say anyone I know wants industrial action, it would be extremely difficult but we are sick of the crap.

[Proposition Joe]

Why would a union official that probably drove a bus for a living explain to a nurse what his or her legal obligations are in a medical sense?

Isn't that what shop stewards are for?

How many nurses qualified before An Bord Altranais established that code of practice?

How many nurses were educated in jurisdictions with a different legal framework around medical ethics?

I did not hear the interview and I don't want to, its black and white. If you accept her position nurses should never ballot for industrial action.

You are of course free not to listen to the interview. You can run around with bananas in your ears if you like.

But at least do the woman the common courtesy of actually listening to her points before rubbishing them.

[edor]

Why would a union official that probably drove a bus for a living explain to a nurse what his or her legal obligations are in a medical sense?

The union official on yesterday's programme was a lot more senior than that.

[X-ray]

X-ray this is the article the nurse wrote for the sindo. Yes it did get heated between her and the rep.


Nurses can't fight for their pay and patients at the same time - Analysis, Opinion - Independent.ie

I think she promoted the case for nurses much better than any union ever could. She doesn't want to be used on behalf of other people.

She can stay at work then, nobody is forcing her on to a picket line. She seems to be trying to force others to her way of thinking. Nurses will vote and go by the result of that, that is democracy, how else would you suggest the proceed. The indo might not like it, but that's life.

[X-ray]

The union official on yesterday's programme was a lot more senior than that.

Union officials do not give out medico legal advice, someone who is not a medical professional would not be qualified to tell a nurse what is and is not her duty in a strike. That's why nurses will decide what if any action to take not a union official.