Representatives of health service paramedics have expressed anger at the accusation by the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, that they are "greedy" for pursuing pay claims under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work.
Ms Christina Carney, of IMPACT, the public sector union, said every other group of public sector workers had been allowed to reach agreement on the merits of its case, and hard working health professionals were simply looking for the same treatment. "It is not a question of greed. It's a question of fair play."
Paramedics, including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, dietitians, physiotherapists, biochemists, audiometricians and childcare workers, are balloting for industrial action over the Government's failure to resolve outstanding PCW claims.