Hundreds of ambulance staff to strike

Hundreds of ambulance staff will strike this week if discussions between a union and St John fail again.

More than 1027 paid ambulance First Union members across New Zealand will cease work for 24 hours from 6am tomorrow and Saturday.

The strike comes after an agreement between St John and union staff promising time and a quarter on weekend and night shifts was not followed through, First Union’s national ambulance co-ordinator Sarah Stone said.

The increased shift pay was agreed to mid-2019, Stone said, but after problems with finances the union agreed for the payments to begin on July 1.

Almost five months later staff had not been paid the new sum, Stone said.

Non-striking ambulance officers, volunteers and paid staff in other roles who had ambulance qualifications would be enlisted to cover during the strike, a St John spokeswoman said.

‘‘St John will also be increasing the number of staff providing clinical triage in the ambulance communications centres during these two days of reduced service. ‘‘While ambulance officers will continue to be there for all patients, the most urgent and lifethreatening emergencies will be given the highest priority, and there will likely be delays for patients with less urgent needs.’’

People are urged to only call 111 for an ambulance if it is a medical emergency. St John told the union there was no money to pay the new rates, but Stone said even after a cash injection of $29 million from the Government for the pay shift it was still refusing to honour the agreement.

Mark Quin, chairman of the New Zealand Ambulance Association, said St John had offered the same settlement to all unions covering its staff, but the association was one of only two to take it to its members for ratification.

St John offered the unions a $60 million deal over a two-year period, including a 15 per cent an hour penal rate for weekends and night shifts, as well as a lump sum of up to $4000 within two weeks of ratification.

All staff would get another 1.5 per cent pay increase on their base pay in the second year. Paramedics would receive a 2 per cent payment every second year and reimbursement for their registration

If the strike goes ahead 37 per cent of St John staff will withhold labour.

‘‘For ambulance officers to do this is absolutely phenomenal. They just feel like there’s nothing left,’’ Stone said.