by Bernie English
bernie@limerickpost.ie
LIMERICK nurses and midwives have joined their colleagues from around the country to register total opposition to a 50 per cent increase in their registration fee with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), for 2015.
The NMBI issues licences to nurses and midwives to practice annually. In each of the past three years the board has increased the licence fee and this year has sought to increase it by 50 per cent to €150. All other comparable health professionals have had their registration fee capped at €100 for the next three year, according to the INMO.
The three unions representing nurses and midwives, INMO, SIPTU and PNA, are supporting nurses and midwives in their opposition to what they have described as, “a wholly unjustified smash and grab by the NMBI”.
In the latest phase of their campaign of opposition, described as the Thurnderclap, nurses and midwives, from every county in Ireland, have posted selfies and group photographs, on social media platforms, which have highlighted the issue to all TDs, senators and public representatives.
The health service could face major disruption if the NMBI seek to remove thousands of nurses from the register, as they have threatened to do. However, unions have advised members to pay only €100 confirming that the NMBI cannot carry through their threats without undergoing a lengthy process which takes a minimum of two months.
Employers have also been warned by the unions to cease intimidatory threats based on false information that fees must be paid by January 1.
