IRELAND Government should change its stand: INMO ready for strike, no other option but strike.

DUBLIN: The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization (INMO) is gearing up to strike against the government's lack of understanding of the cost of living and suffering. The position of the organization is that the salary increase proposed by the government is not directly understanding the situation. So the organization says there is no other option but to go on strike.

A vote will be held on September 1 if the government does not alter its strategy, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization has warned. Nurses and midwives have been urged by the union to get ready for strike action the following week.

The government's position is that the current wages can be increased by 2.5% and next year the percentage will be increased by 2.5%. The negotiations came to a standstill when the public sector unions said that this was not enough.

According to the government, a five percent growth exceeds the two percent permitted by the Building Momentum Agreement. Government policy ignores soaring inflation and living expenses.Negotiations are expected to resume this week or next week. Then the new offer will be put forward.

The income and cost of living increases for nurses and midwives, according to general secretary Phil Ni Shiegdha, are not in line. In the meantime, inflation increased to 9.1%. Rents and the cost of fuel are soaring. In addition, the General Secretary notes that daycare expenses are comparable to a second mortgage.

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI), the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), and the Irish National Teachers' Organization (INTO) have already declared a strike. The first group to criticise the government's method of awarding contracts was INMO.