Ambulance strike is safe: union
Whanganui people needing ambulance services need not worry about imminent strike action affecting their safety. Ambulance workers will begin strike action today but their union and St John say there will be no risk to patient safety.
The partial strike action will affect only commercial event services, not frontline patient services.
The action is in support of a claim to have shift recognition payments.
Ambulance staff work a 12–hour shift pattern that rotates over days, nights and weekends. They previously received shift recognition payments for night and weekend work. St John says the payments have now been incorporated into their hourly rate but union members dispute this.
FIRST Union Transport Logistics and Manufacturing Divisional Secretary Jared Abbott says if the rate did include shift recognition, it would put many staff on pay rates below the minimum wage.
“The starting rate is below $20 an hour; if recognition payments for night and weekend work are factored into this, many ambulance professionals would have to be on below the minimum wage,” Abbott said.
“New Zealand’s ambulance professionals are among the lowest paid in the developed world. Our members feel very strongly about ensuring that patient safety is maintained during any industrial action. Event work, which is commercial income for St John, often gets priority over frontline services, so by refusing to come off the frontline to cover events actually makes more ambulance officers available for the public service.”
St John director of people and capability Sue Steen said:
“St John is in the middle of collective bargaining with our four unions and hopes to reach an agreement that suits all parties. We continue to work in good faith and to discuss relevant issues directly with unions and our staff.”