๐๐บ๐ฏ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐จ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ก.
Good news for hard pressed ambulance staff in County Down and across Northern Ireland.
Hundreds of ambulance workers in Northern Ireland are to receive a pay rise amounting to several thousand pounds each, following an extensive period of campaigning and negotiation by UNISON writes Kevin McAteer.
Members of the union voted overwhelmingly to accept the pay offer from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service HSC Trust, which will be backdated to the beginning of 2017.
The change affects emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics and rapid response paramedics (RRP) who see their pay bands upgraded within the Agenda for Change pay structure.EMTs will move from band four to five, while paramedics and RRPs will move from band five to six.
The changes pay will benefit the affected ambulance staff to the tune of ยฃ7 million, including the backdated payments.
UNISONโs head of bargaining Anne Speed said: โAmbulance staff are at the heart of delivering care to patients and their families. “They fully deserve respect and recognition for all they do โ every day of the week, 24 hours a day. Hundreds of our members have been waiting for quite some time for this pay banding improvement.โ
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: โThis pay rise will make a real difference to ambulance workers, recognising their skills and experience.
โItโs the second big victory this year for UNISON in Northern Ireland after NHS workers were given pay parity with staff in other parts of the UK. Congratulations are due for securing this latest agreement.โ
