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Major success for Irish ambulance workers and their union: Late last Friday night SIPTU members, working in the National Ambulance Service, won a hard fought formal commitment from the Department of Health, Health Service Executive (HSE) and National Ambulance Service (NAS) management for substantial new investment and better working conditions.
 
SIPTU Health Divisional Organiser, Paul Bell, said the commitment contains concrete guarantees on staffing levels, compensation for loss of earnings and the establishment of a working group to deal with other issues relating to the NAS.
 
He said: “These negotiations have been protracted and at times difficult for our members. For them to even contemplate taking all-out strike action shows the seriousness of the issues that were in dispute. However, they remained united and have succeeded in securing commitments for the resources necessary to provide the standard of ambulance service the public deserve.
 
The details of the agreement are explained by Paul Bell in this video:
 

 
Because of this agreement, SIPTU representatives have indefinitely suspended a planned all-out strike by members in the National Ambulance Service, which was due to commence on Wednesday, 10th August. The winning of this substantial investment is only another step in campaign for the future development of the NAS:
 

 
UNI Global Union congratulates his affiliate SIPTU for this big success. UNICARE director Adrian Durtschi added; “The fight for higher investments, better staffing levels and quality jobs is a key issue for the whole care sector. The Irish ambulance workers and their union SIPTU show us with this achievement that we can make gains, if we organise and stand together for our demands.”