Balloting will begin today for strike action by The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and Fórsa.
Members of both with those in SIPTU have been carrying out protests at points across the country in recent weeks, including outside St Luke’s General Hospital for Carlow and Kilkenny last Wednesday.
Large gaps in the nursing and midwifery workforce which the INMO says is impacting the ability of members to provide safe care is behind the move.
The union says many nursing posts are being left vacant, leaving many existing staff having to work on days off or do unpaid work.
While Fórsa has said current pressures on services are set to get worse as demand rises in the winter months, while existing staff are forced to cope with an insufficient complement of staff in most departments.
