SIPTU members will protest outside the annual conference of the Nurses and Midwives Board of Ireland (NMBI), Chartered Accountants House, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, on Thursday, 9th October, from 12.00 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. The protest will highlight the refusal by nurses and midwives to accept an attempt by NMBI to increase the retention fee for members for 2015, from €100 to €150.All nurses and midwives must be registered with NMBI in order to practice their profession in Ireland.SIPTU Nursing Sector Organiser, Kevin Figgis, said: “This increase which follows on from a major increase last year is totally unacceptable. SIPTU members along with their colleagues in the other unions that represent nurses and midwives will be opposing any attempt to impose this increase. SIPTU members are asked not to pay their NMBI retention fee and cancel any direct debits for this purpose.He added: “Our members have suffered significant financial reductions over the past number of years including pay cuts, the imposition of levies and the Universal Social Charge. They are not in a position to pay increased fees to NMBI, an organisation which has attempted to impose an increase of nearly 70% in the retention fee over the last two years”.SIPTU nurses and midwives are also being requested to send in individual letters of complaint to NMBI outlining their reasons for opposing the increase in the retention fee.
Nurses and midwives to protest retention fee rise at NMBI conference on 9th October
