Nearly 13,000 nurses ready for mass resignation

The Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (Tehy) announced Monday morning that about 12,800 nurses are ready to hand in their resignations, effective November 19th.
     Until that time, the nurses will be working normally, although a ban on overtime is still in force.
     National Conciliator Juhani Salonius has asked the parties to the dispute to meet for talks early this afternoon.
     Salonius says that the views of the two sides are so far apart that he expects the mediation efforts to take all of the time allotted before the November 19th deadline.
     
Tehy Chairwoman Jaana Laitinen-Pesola predicted on Monday that if the action begins, it would paralyse Finland's health care system. About 40 per cent of the Tehy-affiliated personnel in the hospitals that are targeted would be off work.
     Tehy also said that it is imposing an embargo on applications for posts for trained nursing personnel as of Monday next week.
     
The stoppage would have its most serious impact on the large hospitals of Helsinki, Turku, and Tampere. In the Helsinki and Uusimaa Health Hospital District alone, there would be nearly 3,000 nurses affected.
     Most of the resignations would involve specialist nurses. However, Tehy says that if necessary, the action would be extended to basic health care and the social sector, with 2,000 employees pledging to join the action, if necessary.
     The union itself was surprised at how many of its members were ready to sign up for the risky venture.
     
Each individual nurse must decide independently on whether or not to join the campaign.
      Those formally resigning their positions do not enjoy the job security of workers taking part in a regular strike. However, there is safety in the shortage of nurses, and Tehy insists that none of those taking part in the action will return to work until everyone is taken back.
      The union is demanding a 15 per cent raise to rectify what it sees as unreasonably low pay, in addition to the overall 9 per cent rise in municipal pay. This would amount to rises of between EUR 400 and EUR 600 in monthly pay over the 2.5 years that the contract would be in force.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  TV report: Nurses´ mass resignation to apply to about 20 hospitals (12.10.2007)
  Hospitals fear impact of nurses´ threatened industrial action (11.10.2007)
  Health care workers threaten mass resignation in labour dispute (10.10.2007)
  Tehy rejects contract offer approved by other nurses´ union (1.10.2007)

See also:
  Minister Risikko: Patients needing non-urgent care likely to suffer most from nurses´ labour dispute