The nurses and midwives strike is underway. They're mounting the largest strike in the history of the health service this morning.
37,000 INMO members will take to the picket line outside hospitals and HSE facilities from 8am. They're gathering in cold conditions to demand pay increases of around 12 per cent.
They're calling on the HSE to sort out what they call a recruitment and retention crisis in nursing.
The government says wage hikes for nurses would open the floodgates for others to seek pay claims, and it wont be doing a special deal.
Medical Appointments Cancelled
25,000 medical appointments are cancelled today. As a result, the HSE is appealing to people not to attend emergency departments unless absolutely necessary.
Furthermore, another round of strikes are planned for next week.
As the Labour Court says it cant intervene in the dispute, its up to the INMO and the HSE to resolve it.
