National Ambulance Service Unite members vote for action

Members of the Unite trade union in the National Ambulance Service have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action, up to and including strike action.

The union has accused the Health Service Executive (HSE) of failing to implement the recommendations of an independent report on updating staff salary scales to reflect changes in their responsibilities and workload.

On Wednesday, around 2,000 SIPTU members in the National Ambulance Service voted overwhelmingly for strike action as part of the same dispute.

Unite said that the qualifications, clinical responsibilities and operational duties of ambulance personnel have expanded significantly in recent years, but recommendations for enhanced pay scales have not been implemented.

"Our members have been left with no option but to take action, and they have Unite's full support as they fight for decent treatment," Ms Graham said.

The HSE previously said it met with SIPTU and Unite in February and confirmed it was committed to entering further discussion on the substantive elements of Workplace Relations Commission proposals, which included new pay scales for relevant grades that recognise past, present and future transformative change, subject to the financial envelope approved by the Department of Health and with the consent and sanction of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

"This proposal was rejected by SIPTU and Unite, who immediately advised of their intention to ballot for industrial action," the HSE said.

The HSE added that it remains committed to engagement through the dispute resolution processes set out in the Public Service Agreement and calls upon both SIPTU and Unite to also commit to doing so.