National Ambulance Service call staff to begin industrial action

Staff at the National Ambulance Service control centre in Tallaght are to begin industrial action today in a row over pay and staffing levels.

The action, in the form of a work-to-rule, will not affect emergency calls to the 999/112 service, according to Siptu, but other services at the centre will be affected.

The decision by the union to proceed with industrial action follows the failure of last-minute talks on Friday to resolve the issues between Siptu and the Health Service Executive.

Siptu organiser John McCamley said it was regrettable his members had no option but to implement a work-to-rule. The action had been scheduled for earlier in the month but was delayed to allow for negotiations. “However, due to the failure of senior HSE management to properly engage with Siptu representatives these negotiations failed to materialise.”

Mr McCamley blamed the action on "the failure of HSE management to honour a number of agreements arrived at following negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission regarding staffing levels, the filling of permanent vacancies, payment of correct pay rates and retention of emergency call takers".

The union says staff taking emergency calls have a starting salary of just €21,000 a year, despite the skills required and sometimes stressful conditions. As a result, it was difficult to recruit and retain staff.