Ambulance workers are being let down by low pay, according to Unison, the UK’s largest ambulance union.
Presenting its evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB), the union argued that paramedics and technicians should be properly rewarded for the vital role they play in treating sick and injured people and in saving lives.
The union said ambulance staff have had to deal with a substantial increase in 999 calls and are increasingly taking on more complex life-saving procedures.
National officer, Mike Jackson, said: “Emergency workers live on the edge of their wits – they cannot afford to relax during their shifts. Sadly they also face rising levels of violence, which add to the stress of an already difficult job. Despite these problems staff rate the job as highly rewarding, unfortunately this is not true in monetary terms.”
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Unison’s evidence, based on interviews with paramedics and technicians, shows that staff feel strongly that their pay does not reflect the burden of responsibility they shoulder on a daily basis.
The union is recommending a significant pay increase and/or a flat rate pay increase to be applied to those staff within the remit of the review bodies whose earnings are lowest.
