Union rep says talks with HSE will be difficult and ‘challenging’
By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association
Unions expect “difficult” and “challenging” talks with the HSE over a paramedic pay dispute.
The HSE entered into direct talks with unions representing ambulance workers at the Labour Court on Monday.
A planned paramedic strike for Tuesday has been called off as the two sides entered negotiations, after a 24-hour work stoppage last week.
The Labour Court held a meeting with unions representing workers in the National Ambulance Service (NAS) on Thursday and a separate engagement with the HSE, and called them back for direct talks on Monday.
Paramedics and emergency medical technicians in Siptu and Unite have been engaged in a work-to-rule amid a dispute over pay and conditions.
The unions say qualifications, clinical responsibilities and operational duties of emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics, advanced paramedics, paramedic specialists and paramedic supervisors have expanded significantly in recent years.
They also say a five per cent increase recommended under a previous process has not been delivered.
The unions want the HSE to drop pre-conditions around its previous pay proposal which critics have said would see a reduction in the number of trained paramedics in a crew and because of changes to overtime, could see some pay decrease.
Siptu ambulance sector organiser John McCamley said they were entering into Monday’s talks without pre-conditions.
He said the union representatives were determined to put their position forward, which is the implementation of the independent report.
He said that Tuesday’s strike action was called off regardless of what happens in the talks, but a planned 72-hour stoppage was still in place for next week.
Speaking to reporters outside the Labour Court before talks began on Monday, McCamley said: “I think they’ll be difficult, I think they’ll be challenging and it is really up to the HSE if they want to resolve this dispute today.
“We’ll know more in a couple of hours but our members are determined to see this true to the end.
“We obviously have our work-to-rule that is still in place, our 72-hour stoppage is still in place.
“So if we can’t find a resolution, unfortunately, I think we’ll have to engage in industrial action after today.”
Asked if he had received a sign that the HSE is serious in the talks, the union representative said: “The only thing we have is that the Labour Court asked both parties in without any preconditions.
“That is a sign for us that people are serious in terms of negotiations.”
He added: “We will see if they are if in fact they have something for us today.”
Asked when a decision would be made on further action, McCamley said it would depend on finding a resolution but added: “Our members are determined and steadfast in their view of bringing this to a resolution.”
