Hospital pharmacists call off strike action
Planned industrial action on 16 February by 500 hospital pharmacists, members of the Fórsa trade union, was called off as the dispute was referred to the Labour Court. The workers had voted overwhelmingly in favour of action in a dispute over pay and improvements in the hospital pharmacy service which had been put forward by the union but blocked by the public service ministry. The changes would deliver estimated cost savings of €55m per year, a figure validated by the Department of Health and the Health Services Executive.