Ambulance crews to strike after HSE move
The country’s 1,200 ambulance personnel, all affiliated to SIPTU, voted nine-to-one in favour of strike action in a ballot completed yesterday.
The workers’ representative council will now meet in Mullingar on March 6 to discuss the exact nature of the action — how long it will last and on what dates.
Under existing agreements, the union must give the HSE three weeks’ notice of any action. It is also obliged to discuss how emergency cover may be provided.
The battle over private ambulance providers began in mid-2007 when the union discovered the HSE had sought “expressions of interest” in the provision of private services.
An emergency meeting of the two sides was called and, according to the union, it was agreed that a sub-committee would be formed to look at the situation.
“It transpired that while discussions were taking place between the union and management team, management were interviewing and assessing the applications from the private ambulance providers,” a spokesman said. “The HSE signed the contractors during the Christmas/New Year period with three separate companies.
“The union committee considers it a complete breach of faith in its dealings with the ambulance management against a background of attempting to develop a national ambulance service with its staff delivering a professional service to the public.”
SIPTU claims the HSE awarded three contracts to Blackrock, Medicall and Lifeline ambulance services for work which its members would normally have carried out.
Paramedics are concerned the move will lead to a reduction of service to people relying on the ambulance personnel.
Last night, Frank McClintock, Head of the National Ambulance Service said: “The private companies represent a very small part of the work we do — our expenditure of less than 4% of our total budget clearly demonstrates this. In the main their work is focused on the transportation of patients rather than emergency call outs. We need our highly qualified and emergency personnel for emergency work. I would stress that we have met with the unions several times in relation to this issue.”
News of the threatened strike comes as a Fine Gael TD has claimed the organisation of the ambulance service in Clare is putting lives at risk.
Pat Breen told the Dáil that the work of the ambulance service “needs to be complemented by a review of the organisation of the entire service” after three women had to give birth before they could get to the Mid-West Regional Hospital in Limerick.
