NASRA union to resist attacks on pay and conditions
A series of important meetings for the future of frontline ambulance personnel in the South East Division of the National Ambulance Service take place this week in Dungarvin, Kilkenny and Waterford, as part of a new national recruitment drive by the National Ambulance Service Representative Association (NASRA), as it prepares to step up its campaign to resist cutbacks in pay and improve working conditions for it members throughout the country.
Since its formation a year ago, hundreds of ambulance paramedic staff has joined the new union which is now part of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA).
The move to establish NASRA as a new trade union arose from the frustration by ambulance personnel with the lack of leadership and representation of their interests in the existing trade unions.
Over the coming weeks NASRA will be convening meetings with frontline ambulance personnel throughout the country in a renewed drive to build its membership among staff who have not yet joined the new union.
“We have had a very good response from frontline ambulance personnel since we set up a year ago and hundreds of staff have joined with us to ensure that we have a union dedicated to protecting their interests and improving pay and conditions which have never been under more attack than they are at present,” said Michael Dixon National Chairman of NASRA.
Mr Dixon and NASRA National Chairman,Tony Gregg will be in . Dungarvin, Kilkenny and Waterford this week meeting ambulance staff from the South East and urging their support for the new union .
“Pay and conditions of paramedic staff and the quality of the ambulance service itself are under sustained attack from the Government and HSE. Ambulance personnel in Ireland are among the most educated and skilled of pre-hospital care providers in the world yet they have sustained pay cuts, levies and pay freezes at the same time as their conditions of employment are consistently getting worse. There has never been a greater need for ambulance personnel to stand together in one union that is dedicated solely to their interests and the protection of the hugely important service they provide on a daily basis to the public. We are urging those staff that have not already done so to join NASRA now so as to allow us get on with the work of fighting on their behalf, ”he said.
“We need all ambulance staff to join with us in NASRA to ensure that we have a strong voice at the negotiating table where the issues of vital importance to our members and the ambulance service are being decided. So far HSE management have refused to recognise NASRA but we are confident that with our growing support and numbers they will not be able to ignore the voice of ambulance staff anymore.”
NASRA Chairman, Tony Gregg said the issues facing ambulance staff in the South East region are the same as those confronting the services throughout the country.
“The working conditions of ambulance staff are under sustained attack as the result of cutbacks and constant reconfiguration of the services around the country. As well as the pay issue, NASRA will be confronting management on issues such as staff transfer policy, the move to one person ambulance crews and the refusal of management to recognise ambulance staff as officer grade – the only ‘emergency service' where this grade does not apply.
