The move will see National Ambulance Service employees begin a work-to-rule on Monday, followed by a 24-hour stoppage on Tuesday due to a dispute over salary scales
An Irish Ambulance (file photo)(Image: Stock)
Paramedics will begin industrial action on Monday over a dispute over salary scales.
The move will see National Ambulance Service employees begin a work-to-rule on Monday, followed by a 24-hour stoppage on Tuesday.
They have promised that more strikes will be announced if the dispute isn’t resolved.
Union officials have blasted the HSE and accused it of failing to implement the recommendations of an independent report on updating staff salary scales to reflect changes in their responsibilities and workload.
Union Unite, which represents paramedics from the National Ambulance Service, said the qualifications, clinical responsibilities and operational duties of personnel have expanded significantly in recent years.
It claims that despite the ‘Roles and Responsibilities Review’ recommending enhanced pay scales to reflect the growing professionalisation of the service, those recommendations have not been implemented.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is scandalous that these frontline workers have been waiting for six years for their skills and expertise to be recognised. They have Unite’s full support in their fight for decent pay and respect”.
Regional officer Eoin Drummey said: “Resolution of this dispute is in the hands of management. If the HSE wants to avoid the inevitable disruption to ambulance services, they must commit to immediate and unconditional implementation of the recommendations of the 2020 review.”
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