Ambulance staff to stage industrial action next month

Staff in the National Ambulance Service who are members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) are to undertake industrial action from October 10th.

The dispute centres on representation rights and the deduction of union subscriptions from members’ pay.

The PNA said that as part of the planned industrial action:

• Vehicles which do not comply with the vehicle daily inspections (VDI) will be stood down at the location and not moved to any other location;
• All vehicles not in compliance with health and safety legislation will be stood down;
• All vehicles not in compliance with HSE ambulance drugs policy will be stood dow;
• Members will refrain from using their own personal equipment and technology for work purposes unless they are in receipt of an allowance for same;
• Where a vehicle is deemed to be not roadworthy, it will be immediately stood down and remain at that location for transporting by relevant maintenance personnel;
• Members not in possession of full uniform and protective equipment, which is free from contamination, will stand down;
• Members will only commence duty at official roster time.

The PNA said it was available to meet immediately with the HSE to agree contingency arrangements and was also available to meet to resolve the matters of dispute.

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The HSE threatened in July to seek an injunction to prevent a previous plan for strike action over the same issues going ahead.

At the time the PNA withdrew its plans for industrial action and decided to ballot members in the National Ambulance Service again on industrial action up to and including strike action.

The PNA said in early September that members in the National Ambulance Service in the ballot had voted 98 per cent in favour of industrial action .

The National Ambulance Service Representative Association is a branch of the PNA.

However the HSE does not recognise either the National Ambulance Service Representative Association or the PNA for negotiation purposes for ambulance staff grades.

The PNA has previously accused the HSE of trying to obstruct the expansion of the National Ambulance Service Representative Association.

The union maintained that last November the HSE introduced a restriction on new members of the National Ambulance Service Representative Association having their subscriptions deducted at source from their pay.