'We've been pushed under the carpet' Laois ambulance paramedics go out on SIPTU strike for better pay
‘We’ve been pushed under the carpet’ Laois ambulance paramedics on strike at Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise
Laois paramedics are out on strike this Tuesday, May 12 marching with SIPTU signs and flags at the front gate of Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise, with many passing drivers on the Dublin Road beeping in support.
The 22 Laois paramedics are taking part in a nationwide strike along with 2,000 SIPTU union colleagues.
It is all an effort to receive a recommended pay rise, in line with the extra jobs they now do.
Paramedic Rob O’Brien spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live from the picket line.
“We were awarded a pay increase a number of years ago that we never got, for the change in upskilling and the amount of service we provide to the public.
“Management is now looking for us to do even more again. We want the pay to be given, before we do anything else, then we will talk to them about further training and upskilling going forward, and what pay we want for that.
“This is the last thing we want to do. We want to be out serving the public, out doing our job,” the Portlaoise paramedic said.
The beeping cars are helping them.
“We are feeling lots of support, yes we were expecting that,” he said.
The job description has changed in the past two decades, but the pay grades have not, he says.
“People call an ambulance because they’re probably having their worst day. It’s our job to deal with that and try to alleviate the pain or trauma, and then transport the patient.
“So we’ve gone from transport service to treating on scene and bringing them to the hospital with some of the work already done to help that person.
“We feel that we’re not recognised for what we do, that’s the problem,” he said.
The current National Ambulance Service system dispatches ambulances to far off calls.
Rob O’Brien says it adds stress and not just to the waiting patients.
“If we have a call that’s an hour or 40 minutes away, we feel under pressure to drive faster, to save a life. A lot of the times we’re sent then we’re stood down because an ambulance becomes available closer so we’re chasing our tails the whole time, trying to get from one call to another. It’s just crazy,” Mr O’Brien said.
Paramedic Claire McGree from Monasterevin has been based in Portlaoise for three years.
“We don’t want to be on strike, we want to be doing our job.
“If we felt that we were listened to, if the HSE actually followed through with recommendations of the pay scale years ago, we wouldn’t be at this point.
“We are proud that while we used to be just ambulance drivers, picking up a nurse or doctor on the way, now we are skilled to a level that the pre hospital care we give is second to none. It’s really good.
“We’ve been upskilled, we have huge responsibilities, with medications alone. It is the patient’s worst day ever, so we have to do our best. But it hasn’t been recognised that all that additional work and upskilling, which we are delighted to do,” she said.
Mateuz Musialski is a Laois paramedic for the past 17 years.
“The main reason for our strike is to get an acknowledgement by the management that our responsibilities, the amount of clinical responsibility and additional tasks, have increased significantly, in the past 20 years. But there was no recognition when it came to pay.
“There were two offers that instead of remuneration, changed the way we work, a change to our contract. So we rejected those offers, we tried to negotiate a fair deal, but management didn’t engage so this is where we are,” Mr Musialski said.
The strikes are planned to increase to put pressure on.
“We plan three separate dates, today is 24 hours, then 48 hours next week, then 72 hours the week after. If we are successful that may change, but we are not very optimistic. Management has basically tried to push us under the carpet,” Mr Musialski said.