Ambulance staff to be balloted for strike action

MORE than 1,200 ambulance personnel are to be balloted for strike action within the next 10 days over the HSE’s decision to use private ambulance services.

SIPTU, which represents the paramedics, has alleged that over the Christmas period, the HSE awarded three contracts to Blackrock, Medicall and Lifeline ambulance services for work which its members would normally have carried out.

Matt Merrigan of SIPTU said the contracts were advertised on the e-tenders website rather than on the ambulance website and so his members only became aware last week that they had actually awarded the contracts to applicants.