A planned two-day strike by ambulance staff due to start next Tuesday has been postponed to allow for further talks between the two side’s aimed at resolving the dispute.
HSE management, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and representatives of the two unions involved, Siptu and Unite, met at the Labour Court on Thursday.
After several hours of engagement the court’s officials asked the unions to defer Tuesday’s 48-hour stoppage in order to allow the process continue next week.
The long-running dispute over pay and grading prompted a 24-hour strike by paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians earlier this week.
The work to rule by some 2,000 paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians will continue in the meantime, although this is not said to be causing any significant disruption to patients. The 72-hour strike planned for Tuesday week is still scheduled to go ahead as things stand.
