Ireland: Restoration of the 37.5 Hour Working Week "nurses and midwives in the public sector"

Indians Daily 📧: newsindiansdaily@gmail.com July 09, 2022 0

INMO informed members that working hours in the civil and public service have been restored to pre-2013 standards with effect from 1 July 2022.

Restoration of the 37.5 Hour Working Week
The INMO has delivered the 37.5-hour week for nurses and midwives in the public sector. This means that full time staff will have their weekly hours reduced from 39 hours to 37.5 hours with pro rata reductions for part-timers. The 37.5-hour week is to be implemented on July 1st, 2022. Pay will not be reduced.
This is a major achievement for nursing and midwifery and other public servants who mainly voted for the Building Momentum Agreement because of this provision.
Building Momentum also provides for a fund for replacement costs. The INMO has sought that this funding is ringfenced for these replacement costs and is not subsumed into other spending.
A bespoke recruitment and retention initiative is needed for nursing and midwifery and the INMO is pursuing this with the HSE.

The independent body, chaired by Kieran Mulvey, was established under the current public service agreement, Building Momentum, with 91.7% of members voting overwhelmingly to ratify in early 2021. This recommendation has now been implemented by the Minister of Public Expenditure as approved under Building Momentum.

Working hours for civil and public servants increased on 1 July 2013 under the Haddington Road Agreement. At the time, the change in hours was a substitute for a pay cut.

The Haddington Road Agreement was agreed by the government and trade unions representing public servants in May 2013 in the context of demands to reduce the public service pay and pension bill by €1 billion.

The Haddington Road agreement changed increment freezes, overtime and flexi arrangements and allowed for a longer working week without compensation. The length of the week increased to at least 37 hours for those working 35 hours or less, and to 39 hours for those working between 35 and 39 hours.

INMO spokespersons, in meetings with members, have made it very clear that members across the country see the current public service agreement – building momentum – as one of their key issues (restoring hours). INMO and the ICTU's Public Service Committee fought long and hard to restore working hours for nurses and midwives.

For nurses and midwives, implementation of the independent body's recommendation will mean working hours will change to 37.5 hours per week with effect from 1 July 2022. INMO has notified the members by email with more information now.