Positive talks result

Unite reps at Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) are pleased to be engaging in positive talks with management a year after the union was re-recognised following strike action over a 22-month period.

It was in April 2013 when Unite members first took strike action at YAS when ambulance technicians who work with paramedics began to be replaced with emergency care assistants (ECA) with just six weeks training. “We believed we couldn’t stand back whilst patient safety was being seriously compromised,” explains Les Muir, Unite branch lead.

Management reacted by permitting the use of private ambulances with less qualified staff and de-recognising Unite despite the union putting forward a well-researched alternative financial plan.

Unsurprisingly, working conditions and patient safety, which go hand-in-hand, deteriorated. No-one blamed the ECAs with Les, who has worked in the NHS for 24 years, stating in September 2014, “eighteen year olds with no life experience are facing some horrendous situations that may come back to haunt them later.”

Intense pressure

At the same time the pressure on paramedics was intense. “When you work with staff who are much less experienced you have the additional responsibility of having to remind them what to do so as to protect a patient’s safety. Properly trained paramedics working together share ideas as you try and work out exactly what might be wrong with a patient in order to ensure you provide them with the correct care as you are taking them to hospital,” says Steve Krebs, Unite YAS branch secretary, who has worked in the NHS for 30 years.

With management refusing to participate in positive talks, YAS Unite members bravely took independent strike action over a 22-month period in the battle to save an essential top quality service. The action had overwhelming support from the public and this was reflected in positive local media coverage of events.

In November 2014, David Whiting, chief executive of YAS NHS Trust, quit his post “with immediate effect.” A Unite spokesperson welcomed his departure saying it would “herald a new era” at the trust.

After a spell as an interim boss, Rod Barnes replaced Whiting permanently. On 9 February 2015 a joint statement was released by YAS and Unite: “Both parties are resolved to settle all outstanding issues and return immediately to a normalised working relationship. The priority of both parties is to deliver a first-class ambulance service for the people of Yorkshire and Humberside…an agreement has now been reached that will see Unite formally re-recognised by the Trust.”

There was nevertheless some apprehension amongst the Unite reps as to what might happen next. “We said before our first meeting with management alongside the other unions – GMB, RCN and Unison – that the hard work was only now getting underway. It helped that ACAS provided some training, which allowed us to understand a little better the role of YAS management and that conversely management had training about our role and activities.

Any tensions were removed and once we were able to sit down together then it has proven possible to negotiate our way around any problems that have emerged. Clearly it did help though that there was a new chief executive,” states Les.

Negotiations

The negotiations and willingness by management to deal with difficult issues in an open frank manner, has led to the post of ECA’s being replaced by a new post, Emergency Medical Technicians 1, which requires 12 weeks training initial training as part of a career pathway that can lead to someone becoming a fully qualified paramedic.

By the end of October there will, with the historical exception of St John Ambulance, be no private sector ambulances, all of which are being replaced by public sector ambulances. “This is great and it makes Yorkshire unique,” explains a clearly delighted Steve.

YAS management has also been “willing to listen to our concerns about post traumatic stress disorder” says Les “plus how long hours impact on people’s health, meaning shift patterns really need changing. Mental health is also being discussed. It is all very positive as a holistic approach will ultimately improve people’s physical and mental welfare and lead to a happier, well looked after workforce. All of which can ultimately help YAS to provide the public with a top class, publicly owned ambulance service. Which is surely what we all want.”

Meanwhile, the work of reps such as Les and Steve has encouraged many more YAS employees to join the union. There is also a batch of newly elected workplace reps, all of whom are undergoing union training, who are representing workers at grievance and disciplinary meetings.

“It was disappointing that we were forced into taking strike action. People know though that Unite is there to represent them individually and collectively and in doing so it means that the essential service we provide to the public is a good one,” says Les.