Strike ballot as ambulance worker clocks 36-hour shift
● Unite union says some staff working up to 36 hours in one go
The Unite trade union is balloting ambulance staff for industrial action amid claims workers are having to do shifts lasting as long as 36 hours.
The union said one employee in the north division of the Scottish Ambulance Service had worked triple the 12 hours that a shift should last.
Tommy Campbell, Unite regional office, said it was a “national scandal” that some in the service were having to work such long hours.
Ambulance staff are being balloted for industrial action after a union claimed one staff member had worked for 36 hours on a single shift.
Leaders of the Unite trade union hit out at the “dangerously long working hours” being undertaken by personnel in the north division of the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).
While shifts should last for 12 hours, the union claimed one SAS employee in the region – which covers both the Highlands and Islands and Grampian – had worked for three times this, while another had been on shift for 23 hours.
Tommy Campbell, Unite regional office, said it was a “national scandal” that some in the service were working such long hours, claiming paramedics who want to serve the public are being “exploited”.
The union is to carry out a consultative ballot on industrial action among its members in the SAS in the north division, prompted by what it describes as “the scandal of long hours and inadequate service provision”.
It claims such “extreme shifts overruns” can cause stress and tiredness amongst workers, adding that “excessive vacancies” are leading to staff having to work overtime.
Asurveyofambulanceworkers in Scotland carried out by
Unite in 2017 found more than half (54.3 per cent) were suffering from stress.
As well as this, 94.5 per cent said morale in the force had worsened, with 91.4 per cent warning staffing levels were insufficient and 90.4 per cent complaining of fatigue.
Mr Campbell said: “It is a national scandal that some workers in the area covered by Highland and Islands and Grampian have worked up to 36 hours.
“This is unfortunately not an
unusual incident and there are many other examples of paramedics working dangerously long hours.
“For this reason, Unite will now move to a consultative ballot on industrial action which we hope focuses the minds of Scottish Ambulance Service management.”
Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar described the union’s claims as “deeply troubling”.
He said: “Our ambulance staff perform lifesaving work every day, but are under pressure like never before.”
An ambulance service spokesman said: “We are continuing to engage positively with our partners at Unite as we are keen to listen to and respond to any concerns raised by our staff or their representatives. We have longstanding arrangements in place to ensure we put patients at the heart of our decision making.”
“It is a national scandal that some workers in the area covered by Highland and Islands and Grampian have worked up to 36 hours”
TOMMY CAMPBELL