TWENTY members the Trade Union SIPTU working with the National Ambulance Service based in Letterkenny are planning strike action next weekend. The ambulance staff will commence a campaign of industrial action on Saturday, December 9th at 1am due to a management failure to implement a Rights Commissioner recommendation.
The recommendation relates to compensatory leave following emergency calls which can see ambulance workers travelling into the early hours of the morning on a call out but being rostered again for work the next day.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Martin O’Rourke said: “The recommendation pertains to the fact that workers who are required to do an extended run will work well beyond their rostered finishing time, and yet also be rostered to work the next morning. So say a worker returned from Dublin at 4 am but was rostered to work again at 8 am. This is unsafe practice and the dispute relates to a breached agreement as to how safe working practice would be maintained.”
Mr O’Rourke, said the initial phase of industrial action has been carefully selected to ensure patient safety is not compromised. He said this decision is a clear “demonstration of the professionalism and commitment” of their members to serving the public.
“Our members are undertaking this industrial action very reluctantly. However, they believe they have been left with no other option due to the failure of management to implement a Rights Commissioner recommendation issued two years ago. The management position is neither acceptable or reasonable. In relation to this dispute our members have followed best practice and agreed procedures. They won their case but management have simply refused to fully implement the resulting recommendation.”
Mr O’Rourke said SIPTU representatives remain available to engage in meaningful negotiations with management to achieve a resolution to this dispute.