No settlement signs in ambulance strike

The strike by ambulance staff in Co Wicklow is entering its third day with no immediate sign of a breakthrough. The Defence Forces are continuing to provide 24-hour emergency cover after ambulance workers refused to agree to the introduction of a new service based in Arklow.

The Eastern Health Board yesterday renewed its offer to discuss the issue with them, but only on the basis of a Labour Court recommendation that the "social disruption" to staff should be examined after six months.

Mr John O'Brien of SIPTU said negotiations under such conditions was unacceptable.

"It's unreasonable that the workers should have to bear the cost of these changes for six months before there is any review. There should be compensation from the outset if that's when the disruption is being caused," he said. Two Defence Force ambulances, each staffed by a driver and two paramedics working on eight-hour shifts, have been in operation at Arklow and Wicklow for the past two days.

A spokesman for the Army said the paramedics had received training "to the same standard as their civilian counterparts" and had overseas medical experience. He said the Army was providing only emergency cover, with routine services such as patient transport to hospitals excluded from their duties. On Monday the Defence Forces units responded to four emergency calls in Wicklow and three in Arklow. By 3.30 p.m. yesterday they had responded to two call-outs, one to Crumlin Hospital and one to Loughlinstown Hospital following a road accident.

The dispute centres on whether staff should be compensated for relocating to the new Arklow centre, which opened 17 months ago but has yet to come into operation.