500 student nurses protest in Cork – Labour will reverse cuts – Cllr John Mulvihill

500 student nurses protest outside CUH at lunchtime – Labour will reverse pay cuts – Cllr John Mulvihill, Labour candidate, Cork East

Cllr John Mulvihill is heartened to see huge support for student nurses at today’s protest outside Cork University Hospital. “These students nurses deserve our support, they work hard for the care of the sick in this country.

I was heartened to see them take such a strong stand outside CUH, united against these savage cuts that will see their pay cut to nothing over the next three years,” Cllr Mulvihill said.

Student nurses of all levels lined the streets with banners at lunchtime (Wednesday Feb 9th) calling for a reversal of pay cuts to fourth year nursing students.

Cllr Mulvihill supports the Irish Nurses and Midwives Association

(INMO) call for student nurses to contact general election candidates seeking clarification on Nurses and Midwives Bill.

Under the Labour Party, the pay cuts will be reversed.

“This week, I called on the student nurses to embrace the determination of the original nurse, Florence Nightingale and to stand up for what they believe to be right.

“I believe they have outdone themselves in today’s show of solidarity, with nurses at 13 hospitals nationwide coming out on the streets to voice their anger,” Cllr Mulvihill said.

“We all know these nurses do the same work as any qualified nurse on the ward and their placement is an integral part of their training.

This cut, already imposed at a level of 4% on fourth year students pay, is savage in the extreme and will land our future nurses in a world of debt before they ever qualify,” Cllr Mulvihill said.