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The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today (Thursday , 13th Dec.) that the planned one day strike by PNA ambulance personnel members (including paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians) which was to take place on Wednesday 19th December has been deferred to Tuesday 22nd January .
PNA is now seeking an urgent referral to the WRC on both the substantive issue of the continued refusal by the HSE to engage in negotiations with the PNA when representing its ambulance branch, and the refusal of the HSE to negotiate contingency plans for industrial action by ambulance personnel.
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Thursday, 29 th Nov.: The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today (Thurs. 29 th Nov.) that its ambulance personnel members (including paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians) will hold a one day national strike on Wednesday 19 th December in pursuit of their right to be represented by the trade union of their choice.
The one-day national strike by the PNA's 500 ambulance personnel members is the third phase of industrial action which commenced on October 10 th in protest at the continued refusal by the HSE to engage in negotiations with the PNA when representing its ambulance branch, or to make payroll deductions of union subscriptions for PNA ambulance personnel members. The national strike will commence at 7 a.m. on Wednesday 19 th . December and run until 5 p.m. that day.
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes said the strike was a serious escalation in a dispute which is entirely of the HSE's making and which PNA have repeatedly asked the HSE to resolve.
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Thursday. 22 nd Nov.: The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today (Thurs. 22 nd Nov.) its ambulance personnel members are determined to continue their overtime ban in pursuit of their right to be represented by the trade union of their choice and warned that the dispute could escalate.
PNA said that despite HSE denials, there is clear evidence that ambulance services are being put under enormous pressure on a daily basis throughout the country as a result of the overtime ban by PNA's 500 ambulance personnel members.
PNA ambulance personnel branch officers met on Monday and committed to continue their action in protest at the denial of their fundamental right to be members of the union of their choice and not of a union that the HSE wants to force them to join.
Peter Hughes PNA General Secretary said it was important for the public to be aware that the ambulance services nationally have been operating in crisis mode in recent weeks.
‘The reckless and intransigence position of the HSE in its continued refusal to engage in negotiations with the PNA when representing its ambulance branch , or to make payroll deductions of union subscriptions for PNA ambulance personnel members has resulted in ambulance services being stretched to the limit in recent weeks since the overtime ban commenced on November 7th.'
Examples of this are:
- Ambulance crews were down by 50% on a number of occasions in Cork.
- On one evening last week the ambulance fleet in the S.E. of the country was operating with six of its 11 ambulance fleet due to the inability of management to fill rosters.
- HSE has been redeploying Rapid Response Vehicles (RRV) for use as ambulances though these vehicles are not suited for this purpose.
- Staff are being rescheduled from training to crew ambulances where crews are refusing overtime.
- Since the weekend, crews have been reduced and shifts not covered in Dublin, Dundalk, Drogheda, Naas, Maynooth, Ballina, Mulranny, Castleblayney, Tullamore, Mullingar and Portlaoise.
- HSE is relying on some non-PNA staff to work back-to-back shifts with obvious implications for health and safety.
