A planned two-day strike by ambulance staff due to start next Tuesday has been postponed to allow for further talks between the two side’s aimed at resolving the dispute.
HSE management, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and representatives of the two unions involved, Siptu and Unite, met at the Labour Court on Thursday.
After several hours of engagement the court’s officials asked the unions to defer Tuesday’s 48-hour stoppage in order to allow the process continue next week.
The long-running dispute over pay and grading prompted a 24-hour strike by paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians earlier this week.
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The work to rule by some 2,000 paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians will continue in the meantime, although this is not said to be causing any significant disruption to patients. The 72-hour strike planned for Tuesday week is still scheduled to go ahead as things stand.
“The court asked us to call off next week’s strike to allow for further talks on Monday and Tuesday and we agreed with that,” said Siptu sector organiser John McCamley.
“The court felt there was the basis for more progress to be made after today and are optimistic because the talks will be without preconditions.
“The HSE has its position and we have ours but the stumbling block had previously been the preconditions the HSE were putting in place and they have been taken off the table for the purposes of this process,” he said.
Senior clinicians at the NAS and patients’ groups had expressed concerns about safety during this week’s 24-hour stoppage and suggested the dangers involved would only grow as the length of the strikes was extended over the coming weeks.
The unions had said patient safety was a primary concern for them and adequate cover had been provided to ensure it nobody was put at risk.
The HSE said it “welcomes the announcement from Siptu and Unite that industrial action planned for next week has now been stood down, following initial discussions today at the Labour Court”.
“The HSE will continue to engage in the Labour Court process on Monday next.”
