Ambulance workers vote for industrial action in dispute over report recommendations

National Ambulance Service (NAS) workers have voted for industrial action in a dispute over what their union says is a failure by management to implement changes recommended in a report on the service.

Siptu members, who took part in the ballot that concluded on Thursday, voted overwhelmingly in favour of action, which could include a strike, with 95 per cent in favour, the union said.

Siptu had informed the head of the NAS, Robert Morton, of the potential for industrial action unless the findings of the report, which was jointly commissioned by management, Siptu and the HSE, were implemented.

The proposals include that all new paramedics will have a degree level-eight qualification and that paramedics will be recognised as a profession with graded pay scales.

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Notice

Siptu health division sector organiser Ted Kenny said on Saturday the high level of support for action had been “inevitable, given the high level of frustration of our members”.

“We will be serving notice on the NAS next week. It will be 21 days’ notice so we will be hopeful that in the intervening period, discussions will take place to resolve the issue,” he said.

“The Irish Ambulance Representative Council (IARC), which is made up of representatives of Siptu and Unite, will meet next week to discuss what form of industrial or strike action we will take and our members will then be informed.”

A HSE statement on Saturday said: “The National Ambulance Service (NAS) notes that Siptu has voted to undertake industrial dispute action. The NAS preference would always be for constructive engagement with all stakeholders on any pay dispute. The threat of industrial action is worrying for our staff and patients and we would call on Siptu to reconsider. The NAS would also like to assure the public that every effort will be made to mitigate any risk to them arising from any action.”

Last week, the HSE said the report required the parties to develop “recommendations on the appropriate grading structure including updated salary scales” and that, as the current public sector agreement precluded the making of sectoral claims during its lifetime, a case had been submitted to the Department of Health in January with a view to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform including them in talks planned for later this year on a new deal.

“In the meantime, the HSE will continue to work to advance the professionalisation agenda within NAS that also seeks to recognise the important work carried out by NAS staff throughout the past three years and in the ongoing implementation of Sláintecare,” it said.