Ambulance staff to continue industrial action
Members of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) in Cork have said conditions in the service mean many members cannot afford to live or build lives for themselves.
Workers have been engaged in a work-to-rule since 11 May, and took part in a 24-hour work stoppage on Tuesday 12 May. The picket in Cork on Tuesday was one of 102 around the country. Fergal Lenihan, a member of the NAS based in Cork city, said conditions are making the service unattractive for younger people looking to enter it. “People can’t afford mortgages,” he said.
“If they are based in Cork city, they’re not able to get a mortgage in the city, so they have to look further afield.
“That means they need a car, and they need one that isn’t going to leave them on the side of the road when they need to be in the city for an 8am start.
“I just want people to understand that there’s a personal side to this, and people need to be able to survive on the salaries for the work that they’re being expected to do. That’s all we’re asking for,” he said.
Workers have said the industrial action is taking place over the HSE’s failure to implement recommendations of an independent report covering pay and conditions.
Lenihan highlighted the dispute wasn’t just about pay, but also changes to things like ambulance crewing models which he said would impact patient care.
At present, ambulance crews consist of two paramedics, which Lenihan said was proposed to be changed to one paramedic and one emergency medical technician (EMT). “Our colleagues in the intermediate care vehicle (ICV) service who are EMTs have also progressed hugely and that’s not to say that they are any less skilled in the services that they provide. But as it stands the proposed changes to the crewing model would have resulted in a reduction in the level of care to the patients that we care about and that we look after,” he said.
SIPTU health division organiser Natasha Linehan Treacy said that the workers will continue with a work-to-rule until 19 May, at which point they will engage in another 24-hour work stoppage if no breakthrough is made in negotiations. This will mean that workers will only do the work that they are contractually obliged to do.
She said workers would still respond to emergency calls. Lenihan said crews would normally come into work 20 minutes early to carry out pre-shift checks, among other out-of-hours and overtime practices, which will not be carried out for the duration of the industrial action.