The strike will begin on 30 January.
37,000 nurses belonging to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) are set to strike for 24 hours on 30 January in an escalation of their pay dispute.
They also announced that if the dispute is not resolved, there will be further 24-hour strikes on 5 and 7 February, and then on the 12, 13 and 14 February.
A statement was posted on the official INMO website on Tuesday evening.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said:
“Going on strike is the last thing a nurse or midwife wants to do. But the crisis in recruitment and retention has made it impossible for us to do our jobs properly. We are not able give patients the care they deserve under these conditions.
“The HSE simply cannot recruit enough nurses and midwives on these wages. Until that changes, the health service will continue to go understaffed and patient care will be compromised.
“The ball is in the government’s court. This strike can be averted. All it takes is for the government to acknowledge our concerns, engage with us directly, and work to resolve this issue, in a pro-active manner.
NMO President Martina Harkin-Kelly called for the support of the public, saying:
“We entered these professions because we care for our patients. We’ll be going on strike for the exact same reason. Ireland’s patients deserve better than this understaffed health service.
“Nurses and midwives are now globally traded assets. The public health service no longer pays a competitive wage, so we can no longer get the necessary number of nurses and midwives.
“We are calling on the public to support us. Nurses and midwives are always there for you when you need help. Now we need your help.”
This will only be the second strike in the 100 year history of the INMO.
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