Monday 1 st April - Ambulance personnel members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) will hold a fifth day of strike nationally tomorrow, Tuesday 2 nd April, in their continuing campaign for their right to join, and be represented by the PNA as the union of their choice. The strike action will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Tomorrow's strike by  500 PNA ambulance branch members (including paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians) is a further stage in the determined campaign by PNA ambulance personnel members that has already involved four days of strike action on January 22 nd , February 15 th , 28 th and March 1 st .

Peter Hughes, PNA General Secretary said ambulance personnel members brought their protest to the Dail last week, and with their strike action tomorrow they are sending a clear message to the HSE that they are not prepared to have the fundamental right to join and be represented by the union of their choice denied to them.

‘Tomorrow's strike (and the further strike day on April 10 th ) is  avoidable if the HSE will stop its unprecedented opposition to allowing 500 ambulance personnel to be represented by PNA  - a trade union with  over 40 years' experience in representing workers within the health and social care services It is time for the HSE to respond to three separate WRC invitations to attend talks to resolve this dispute through industrial relations procedures and not through confrontation or legal threats.'

‘Since it was established in 2010 hundreds of frontline ambulance personnel have made their decision to join PNA  ambulance branch which now represents more members by far than at least one of the two unions recognised by the HSE for frontline paramedics. It is inexplicable that the HSE is continuing to attempt to ignore and frustrate the wishes of these frontline staff to be members of the PNA'.

Media Contact: Derek Cunningham 086-2430535