Labour Court Talks on National Ambulance Service Pay Dispute to Resume Thursday

Negotiations at the Labour Court, aimed at resolving a pay dispute within the National Ambulance Service, concluded for the evening and are scheduled to resume on Thursday. SIPTU characterized the discussions as «difficult,» indicating that an agreement has not yet been reached.

SIPTU informed its members that the Labour Court requested the parties return on Thursday, presenting it as a final opportunity to resolve the dispute before industrial action commences next week. John McCamley, SIPTU's Ambulance Sector Organiser, expressed gratitude to the union representatives involved in the talks. He acknowledged their disappointment regarding the limited progress but affirmed that representatives are committed to securing the most favorable deal possible.

SIPTU and Unite have engaged in discussions with HSE management over the past two days. A 24-hour strike by frontline ambulance workers occurred last Tuesday, which the HSE reported had a «significant impact» on services. A planned 48-hour strike, initially set to begin today, was postponed to facilitate the Labour Court talks. However, plans for a 72-hour work stoppage on May 26 remain in effect, and a work-to-rule action by frontline ambulance staff, initiated last week, is ongoing.

The unions have accused the HSE of failing to implement recommendations from an independent report concerning updates to staff salary scales. These updates were intended to reflect changes in responsibilities and workload. The HSE, conversely, stated that previous proposals offering pay increases were rejected. Unions countered that these proposals included unacceptable conditions, such as alterations to allowances.