Irish Nurses - Boer War

Irish Nurses - Irish dancing 1973

COHSE Journal February 1973

Irish Dancing

Dear Sir,

For the benefit of Irish staff in hospitals in the Balham, Tooting, Wandsworth and Mitcham areas, the Collins (could be Connolly) School of dancing every Sunday morning at St. Augustine's Hall, Broadwater Road, Tooting, London SW17. The centrally heated hall is just a few minutes walk from Tooting
Broadway Tube Station, and is convenient

Any staff who have children that would like  to  take  up.  the  challenge  of  Irish dancing, may bring them along any Sunday morning at 11.30 to 1.30.

                        M. McGrath    RMN

Registered Mental Nurse

Springfield Hospital

Tooting

London

SW17

Note:

This letter from an Irish nurse working at Springfield hospital, Tooting, South London to the COHSE journal highlights the links between Irish male nurses and mental hospital nursing in England and the scope of Irish cultural links of migrant workers in the 1970's (and also union involvement of irish nurses in England and in particular in COHSE, sometimes jokingly refered to at the time as "a male Irish charge nurse mafia"

Irish Student Nurses Fighting Back !

Student nurses warn of cut backlash

By: MARTIN WALL, Industry correspondent
February 16, 2011

The Irish Times

Over 3,000 student nurses and midwifes have taken part in a rally at the Department of Health in Dublin today in protest at Government plans to

phase-out and ultimately eliminate payments for their mandatory 36-week placement in hospitals.

Siptu nursing official Louise O'Reilly said that nurses would punish those who made the decision to introduce the cuts in the forthcoming general election.

Liam Dolan from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation urged student nurses to tell their TDs that they would not vote for them if they did not pledge to reverse the cuts.

Mr Dolan said that the unions would meet with Fian na Fáil on the issue tomorrow.

Des Kavanagh of the Psychiatric Nurses Association said the decision to make the cuts was a final act of betrayal by the former minister of health Mary Harney.

He said the Opposition parties should be clear and unambiguous in their support for student nurses and that "woolly soundbites are not acceptable."

Minister for Health Mary Coughlan last week has asked the secretary-general of her department to carry out a review of the decision to abolish student nurse payments from 2015.

It is understood the review will focus only on the plan to abolish completely the payments from 2015 and plans to reduce the level of payments made to student nurses and midwives over the coming years will remain in place.

The Government announced in late December that it planned to reduce and ultimately abolish payments made to fourth-year nurses and midwives in training during their mandatory 36-week placements in hospitals.

They are currently paid 80 per cent of the salary of a staff nurse during this period.

The Department of Health estimates the cuts will ultimately generated savings of €28 million.

About 3,500 student nurses and midwives took part in demonstrations at 13 hospitals around the country last Wednesday against the planned cuts as unions promised to make them a major issue in the general election.

Wednesday February 16 2011

Irish Independent

Angry student nurses have warned politicians they will be punished in the General Election unless plans to abolish their pay during ward placements are reversed.

Up to 3,000 protesters marched through Dublin and staged a rally at the Department of Health over proposals to phase out payments to fourth-year students working on wards during a nine-month internship.

Security staff padlocked the gates around Hawkins House and senior health chiefs quickly left for lunch before nurses and midwives arrived en masse to hand in a letter calling on the in-coming minister to reverse the plan.

Louise O'Reilly, Siptu's national nursing official, told noisy demonstrators the cuts were a new low for the Government.

"We will hold our politicians to account and shame those cowards who will not pledge to reverse those cuts," she said.

"We say no to slave labour and we will punish those on February 25 who try to introduce it."

Student nurses and midwives are currently paid 80pc of the salary of a staff nurse during their mandatory 36-week placements in hospitals.

Tanaiste Mary Coughlan has asked officials to carry out a review of a decision to reduce and ultimately abolish payments over the next four years.

Four-year-old Ella Dowd dressed in a nurses uniform to support her mother Tara and aunt Maria, both from Swords, north Dublin.

Tara, a second-year psychiatric nursing student at Trinity College, fears she could be forced to leave her course if her pay is cut in her final year.

The 26-year-old lone parent already studies, has placements in St Patrick's Hospital, works weekends for an agency and cares for her daughter.

"This would make a huge difference. I'd probably end up dropping out because I couldn't afford to run my home, Ella's creche and a childminder for weekends," she said.

Maria, 20, a third-year psychiatric nursing student, added: "Next year I will have my own patients and will be administering their medications.

"That is a huge responsibility for anyone to have. Intern doctors will still get paid, why are intern nurses getting cut?"

Union leaders from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), and Siptu are holding talks with members of each political party, including Fianna Fail, for their stance on the cuts.

INMO general secretary, Liam Doran, warned his members and their families, who wield more than 200,000 votes, will be told the reply from each party before they go to the ballot boxes.

Fourth-year pre-registration nurses and midwives will also be balloted for a withdrawal of labour in early March if they do not secure a resolution.

Workhouse Dance at gun point

Made A Prisoner

Bawnboy Workhouse Master

Sinn Feinners Sunday dance The Bawnboy Sinn Fein Club showed its power on Sunday evening, when a body of men proceeded to the Workhouse in the village, and having made a prisoner of the Workhouse Master, held a dance in the boys schoolroom in the institution, contrary to a notice already given that the dance would not be permitted.

It appears that at a meeting of the Guardians held on the 8th inst, it was decided that permission be given to the local Sinn Feiners for the entertainment.

The decision of the Guardians having being communicated to the Local Government Board, the latter body wrote to the clerk of the Guardians was illegal and threatened an injunction in the superior courts.

The Master of the Workhouse, hearing this at once communicated with the secretary of the local Sinn Fein Club, stating that the dance would not be permitted.

Despite this an advance guard of the Republicans made their way to the office of the Master Mr P. McTeigue and imprisoned him there until the crowds for the dance, which numbered over 200 had assembled and taken possession of the boys schoolroom, when the prisoner was released

Tyrone Impartial Reporter 18th October 1917

NOTE

At Strabane Workhouse in February 1922.
Five or six masked (IRA) men entered the Workhouse and set fire to it in order to stop the local Dorset Regiment occupying it.

8 Hour Day - Nurses 1920

15 May 1920
--
EIGHT HOURS’ DAY IN DUBLIN.

The Corporation of Dublin, which makes grants to various hospitals in the city, has decided to make such grants conditional upon the establishment of an eight hours’day for nurses.

In this connection several medical contemporaries take exception to this decision on the ground that in the case of a nurse work and duty are not co-extensive, though no doubt she is liable to answer a bell or call at any moment.”

That may be the case with private nurses, but we have yet to meet the hospital nurse who spends “ much of her time on duty sitting down,” There is a very wrong conception prevalent of the way in which hospital nurses work, It is usually at full

COHSE Leopardstown Park Hospital, Dublin

Leopardstown Hospital, Dublin

It is a little known fact that, COHSE had a branch of the union in Dublin for many years.

The COHSE branch was based at Leopardstown Park Hospital, a British War Pensions hospital located at Blackrock, Co Dublin opened in 1917.


The building is large mansion house in 100 acres of grounds, given by the Powers (Whisky) family.


The hospital was established to care for injured Irish soilders in the British Army. It was administered by trustees of the British Department of Health and hospital staff were paid British NHS Whitley pay rates

The COHSE branch was established in 1948 by Jim Doyle a ward assistant (later ambulance driver) with Tim Canty a nurse (who moved to nurse in England) with two other members called Ball and Byrne. In the late 1960's the branch had 60 members and Jim Doyle Branch Chairman, Jack Brennan Branch Secretary, Sean Whelan Vice Chairmen In the grounds of the hospital patients still wore the old "hospital blues" familiar to hospitals in WW1

In 1979 the hospital was transfered to a local Hospital Board (whick includes a UK representative) and still carers for injured soilders

Picture Left to right Jim Doyle, Sean Whelan. Jack Brennan (October 1969)

The National Asylum Workers Union had members in Southern Ireland until 1917 (branches left to form own Irish Mental hospital workers Union, later ITGWU, later SIPTU)

Irish Nurses Union 1920

Irish Nurses Union

Honary Secretary: Miss Carson Rae

President: Miss E. Hazlett (Richmond)
Vice President: Miss Carre

Executive Miss, Huxley, Thornton, O'Flynn, Burkett, Haire, Reeves, Hughes, Keating, Haverly, Rhind, Blackmore, Downie, Bradburne, Crowther, Harrison, Chisholm, Harrison, Chisholm, McKinley, McGinley, Drew and Mrs Manning

Miss E Hazlett
Trained at Richmond, Whitworth and Hardwicke hospital, appointed Assistant Matron in 1912 and appointed Matron Richmond Hospital, Dublin 1918


NOTE
Later Irish Nurses Organisation

Nurses 8hr Day Dublin - 1920

NURSES EIGHT HOURS’ DAY IN DUBLIN.

The Corporation of Dublin, which makes grants to various hospitals in the city, has decided to make such grants conditional upon the establishment of an eight hours’day for nurses.


source
British Nursing Journal - 15th May 1920

First COHSE Branch in Northern Ireland 1958

First COHSE Branch in Northern Ireland 1958

Armagh Shows the Way

AN EXAMPLE TO ULSTER'S 4,000 NURSES

By Miss Katherine. M. Daly, COHSE Organiser

THE enthusiasm of nurses in Northern Ireland is something at which I am still marveling.

Their spontaneous movement to join the Confederation (COHSE) resulted in my first visit to Northern Ireland, where my services were requested, not as is usually the case, to persuade hospital staff to become members, but to welcome a large group of nurses into membership. These nurses were aware of our efforts to improve their salaries and conditions through the Nurses and Midwives Council and were concerned that they were taking everything and giving nothing.

Nearly 100 nurses attended my first meeting in Armagh, and I was impressed that the questions were mainly on general principles and not on personal issues. At this meeting the St. Luke's Branch was established, and it was clearly indicated that the nurses in Armagh will not be content to have only one branch.

It would be wrong to suggest that this movement is confined to Armagh. Within an hour of landing at Belfast my badge was recognised by a doctor who, on being told I was an organiser, asked me to go with him to a general hospital where, he said, " The nurses have been looking for the Confederation for a long time." A number of Belfast nurses will know that I accepted this offer and anticipate visiting Belfast again in the near future to establish at least one branch there.

The aim of the Armagh Branch is to build up a membership of 4,000 nurses in Northern Ireland. Whether they have set themselves an impossible task remains to be seen but, if there are as many nurses in Northern Ireland, I am convinced we will be welcoming them into membership in the not too distant future, for in Armagh we have a group of people who have recognised that unity is strength and that as every nurse needs the Confederation, so does the Confederation need the support of every nurse.

Good luck Armagh !

COHSE Health Services Journal July 1958

Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE)

Matron & The Irish Republican Flag 1923

An Irish republican flag belonging to tho Sheila O'Connell a Matron of a home for children was discussed by Bradford Board of Guardians recently. It was decided that if the Matron—referred to as the " foster-mother "—declined to remove the flag she should be dismissed. It was stated that the objection to the flag was not that it was Irish, but that it was a rebel flag. The British Journal of Nursing 3 February 1923 

 Photo Irish Transport & General Workers Union (now SIPTU) headquarters of Citizens Army 1916.

Maude MacCallum - Professional Union of Trained Nurses 1919

Maude MacCallum

Hon Secretary Professional Union of Trained Nurses

Maude MacCallum also known as Miss E Maude MacCallum was the daughter of Mr James W. MacCallum of Dublin and granddaughter of Major John MacCallum of Dover. (her brother being John MacCallum).

Educated at St Margaret’s Hall, Dublin and subsequently entered Trinity College, Dublin, where she took all the course open to women in those days.

She also matriculated at the Royal University of Ireland before entering Nurse Training School at Adelaide Hospital, Dublin.

After obtaining her nursing qualification she joined the Nurses Co-operation then located at 8, New Cavendish Street, London. She also carried out several years war work as a nurse.

She was elected a member of the Committee of the Co-operation and while serving upon it, originated and, with the help of two other far-seeing nurses, carried to a successful conclusion, the scheme for Sickness Benefit Fund and also originated the Benevolent fund , two of the most practical pieces of work for the benefit of Nurses of the Co-operation.

It was a personal experience which led Miss Maude MacCallum in 1919, to found the Professional union of Trained Nurses, (The first nursing union) for which injustice and tyranny touched her own life she realised how defenseless were many of her colleagues under similar conditions, and with unselfishness singleness of purpose she devoted herself thenceforth to the betterment of the conditions of the “working nurse” and to her protection from unqualified competition when trained.

The PUTN was registered as a Trade union in order to ensure that it should always be managed by nurses themselves.

The Professional Union of Trained Nurses worked closely with the Poor Law Workers Trade Union (later NUCO later COHSE) and MacCallun had her own page in the union’s journal “Monthly Notes”

The Nursing Times, then the Journal of the College of Nursing (RCN) referring to the growth in nursing trade unionism stated “Such a society will attract very few of the best nurses”

We believe the debt of gratitude which they owe her will be increasingly appreciated, as the truth of her favorite motto “Who would be free themselves must strike the blow” becomes more and more understood.

In February 1920, Miss Maude MacCallum was appointed a member of the first General Nursing Council (now Nursing & Midwifery Council NMC) by the minister of Health at the time Christopher Addison MP.

During her term of office she upheld the right of nurses to manage their own affairs and opposed medical and lay domination. She consistently voted for, and spoke in support of, proposals for the benefit of the nursing profession and opposed many recommendations of the majority which she considered inimical to its interest, in spite of derision and rudeness.

Speaking at the Scottish Nurses Club at 205 Bath Street, Glasgow on Friday 19^th Mach 1920 MacCallum stated “The Professional Union of Trained Nurses must have been a much needed organisastion if one might judge from the bitter attacks made on its organisers.

“Who was afraid of being injured ? . besides, it would not be the nurses themselves who would be hurt by the action, as their conditions were so bad they could hardly be worse; besides, it was not to be expected that so much wrath should be poured forth just to prevent the nurses injuring themselves if they wished to do so. There must be some other interested threatened”.

At the same meeting she also highlighted a historical problem with nurse attitudes to trade unionism “Disabusing the minds of her hearers that trade unionism was synonymous with strikes, which she admitted. It was in her own mind until she went thoroughly into the matter”.

At a meeting of the PUTN on 1^st February 1922 at 6 Nottingham Place, it was reported by the Professional Union of Trained Nurses Chairman Mrs Winifrede Paul “seldom have nurses been roused to such a pitch of indignation over anything as they have been at present by the treatment of Mrs Bedford Fenwick and the other independent nurses – including the secretary of the PUTN- have received at the hands of the College of Nursing Ltd”

MacCallun stated in 1923 after the College of Nursing with the help of Sir Alfred Mond Minister of Health had been able to “pack” the General Nursing Council of 1923 to exclude opposition, including Mrs Bedford Fenwick that the PUTN was “The principle thing that stood between them and serfdom”.

The Professional Union of Trained Nurses had by July 1921 established an “Alliance” with the Medico-Political Union (Doctors union). The PUTN was meeting regularly at the Plane Tree Restaurant, 106 Great Russell Street

She suffered from a “corroding disease” (undoubtedly Cancer) which ultimately caused her death, she made no mention of it to her nearest or dearest.

She finally resigned as Honorary Secretary of the Professional Union of Trained Nurses in 1926 on grounds of her health.

Kate L Earp became Chairman and Winifrede Paul Hon Secretary of the Professional Union of Trained Nurses

In her last few days she was nursed at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in Euston and died on the morning of 14^th June 1926.

Her service was held at St Pancras Church and was conducted by Rev Prebendary Metcalfe and Rev W.E. Kingsbury Secretary of the Actors Union.

Suspended at the lower end of the coffin was a laurel wreath with roses and a message “in loving remembrance from the PUTN” tied with its colours.

PUTN inaugural meeting 25th October 1919

Notes from various publications incl the British Journal of Nursing
by Michael Walker UNISON
Photo of MacCallum from The British Journal of Nursing July 1926
Read Sarah Claridge PUTN and NUCO posting on this site
Kate L Earp (was this Mrs Atherton Earp ? trained at Crumpsall Infirmary, Manchester, child welfare Paris, Educational organiser Infant Welfare Centre, Hampstead,)

Professional Union of Trained Nurses established in 1920 with 268 members. The union ceased to exist by 1930

ITGWU Irish Nurses Deal 1956

In our last issue we reported on the threatened stoppage of work by the mental hospital nursing staffs throughout the country following the failure of negotiations to resolve the matters at issue.

We are now pleased to record that this stoppage has been averted and an amicable and very satisfactory settlement effected following the resumption of negotiations with the representatives of the Managers of the mental hospitals under the auspices of the Labour Court.

The Court's intervention in the dispute led to the setting up of a Provisional Conciliation Council presided over by Mr. E. de Burca of the Labour Court, assisted by Mr. E. B. Barry of the Court, who acted as Secretary. Our representatives on the Council were ably assisted by Mr. James Larkin, T.D., General Secretary, Workers' Union of Ireland, Mr. John Foster, Workers' Union of

Ireland and Grangegorman Mental Hospital, and by Miss M. Sugrue and Miss C. Breslin of the Irish Women Workers' Union.

The Council's deliberation resulted in the following agreement :—

(1)that a permanent body on thelines of a Joint Industrial Council be established immediately to consider future claims relating to salaries and conditions of service of nursing and attendant staffs.

(2) that the following national salary scales apply to mental nursing and attendant staffs (exclusive of senior nursing posts):

Male attendants — £290+£5 to £305.

Male nurses — £345+£10 to £395, to £405 after 11 years, to £410 after 15 years, and to £415 after 20 years.

Female attendants—£265+£4 to £277

Female nurses — £305 + £10 to £365 and to £375 after 20 years

In addition to these scales £25 p.a. is payable to a Deputy Charge nurse and £45 p.a. to Charge nurses.

Cost of living allowances granted on a national basis on and after 1st November, 1952, shall be added to the above scales.

It is accepted by the Provisional Council that any of the parties may submit at any future date for consideration and determination by the Council a proposal for the amending of the above salary scales on a national basis and further, that any of the parties may submit at any time for consideration and determination bv the Council claims in respect of conditions of employment and service such as overtime conditions and payments and problems in respect of supervision and overcrowding.

Nothing herein contained shall prejudice in any way any personal plus allowances already being paid in any district mental hospital.

The Council agrees that the scales set out above shall be payable

on and from 1st December, 1955.

ITGWU (SIPTU) Liberty, March, 1956.

Irish nurses strike 1980 and 1999

The Irish experience of strike action first occurred in 1980 over a pay dispute.

It lasted 17 days and mostly involved nurses belonging to SIPTU (then known as the Irish transport & General Workers Union - ITGWU)

According to ITGWU Nursing Officer Pat Brady the strike action was successful in that it achieved a major pay increase for nurses.

the union also recruited substantial number of members from the Irish Nurses Organisation (then like the RCN a no strike union)

IRISH NURSES STRIKE 1999

On Tuesday 19th October 1999 by the biggest strike in its history, as 27,500 nurses began indefinite strike action over pay and working conditions.

Members of all four nursing unions backed the strike by massive majorities on October 11. They rejected an offer by the Labour Court (a cross union-government body), which the government claimed amounted to a 23 percent rise on basic salaries.

SIPTU nurses voted 82 percent in favor of strike action, and the Irish Nurses Organisation, voted 96 percent in favor. While smaller unions IMPACT and the Psychiatric Nurses Association members backed the action by 89 percent.

27,000 nurses began on 19 October 1999. The key issue for the nurses was their bid to enhance both their pay and professional status to a level that they felt was commensurate with their qualifications and the professional demands which are made upon them.

The government, for its part, was fearful that further concessions would provoke "knock-on" pay claims elsewhere in the public sector. For this reason, the government was resolute in its determination to face down the nurses, partly in an attempt to dissuade other public sector workers from pressing their own claims. The strike was called off after nine days, after the nurses had secured some concessions that exceeded the terms previously offered following a Labour Court recommendation

Patrick McHugh - St Pancras Hospital

Patrick McHugh

Born in Ireland 45 years service

Chief Male Nurse at St Pancras Hospital (Observation Unit - psychiatric )

Joined The National Union of County Officers (NUCO) union (Later COHSE)  in 1925. He took a leading part in the early struggles to improve nursing service conditions and was part of the first public demonstration by nurses, when NUCO nurses took part in the "raid on the LCC", when leaflets were thrown into London County Council chamber to highlight LCC Nurses grievances. Patrick also took part in the famous "masked demonstration" by NUCO uniformed nurses, who march down Fleet Street on the 5th April 1938 with sandwich boards stating "we demand fair pay" and a 48 hour week.

speaking in February 1937 Patrick McHugh for NUCO stated

"that the Nursing Executive of the National Union of County Officers were unanimously of opinion that nursing of the Chronic Sick should be done by fully trained nurses. If employing authorities could be persuaded to give more reasonable rates of pay, shorter working hours, and improved conditions, it would go a long -way towards removing the difficulty in obtaining the general trained nurse."

Probably trained initially in Dublin 

Served in France in the RAMC in WW1

A member of NUCO's National Executive Committee

Considered  "A remarkable gift of oratory"

his motto was "Let this day pass no one by"

Member of the board of Governors at the National hospital, Queen's Square

Retired 1952

Died June 29th 1954

Possible

Born 15th May 1887 at Abbeyleix, Laois, Ireland to Thomas McHugh and Mary Keelly. Patrick McHugh married Mary Nevin and had 5 children. 

He passed away on 29th June 1954 in Pancras, London, England.

 

COHSE Journal