Unite Ambulance B0024 N.I

11/05/2026

Solidarity with ambulance workers taking strike action tomorrow!

👉Resolution of dispute up to management as workers wait over six years for recognition

Unite, which represents members at the National Ambulance Service, has confirmed that members working as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, advanced paramedics, paramedic specialists and paramedic supervisors will engage in a 24-hour stoppage tomorrow from 08:00 tomorrow (Tuesday 12 May) to 08:00 on Wednesday.

Last month, Unite and Siptu members voted overwhelmingly for industrial action due to management’s ongoing failure to implement the 2020 ‘Roles and Responsibilities Review’.
The qualifications, clinical responsibilities and operational duties of ambulance personnel have expanded significantly in recent years. Despite the fact that the ‘Roles and Responsibilities Review’ recommended enhanced pay scales to reflect the growing professionalisation of the service, those recommendations have not been implemented.

In addition, a five per cent increase recommended under the Benchmarking II process has not been delivered.

Click through for full statement issued this afternoon: https://tinyurl.com/4c8zv6be

16/04/2026

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/medics-warn-of-devastating-consequences-as-ambulance-staff-ordered-to-offload-patients-at-ni-eds-after-2-hours-VBRA74XEA5CKHCANEFWPR2PZKE/

The Department of Health has said that from April 27, ambulance crews should automatically be released from emergency departments after two hours.

19/03/2026

Can all members click the link and sign the petition.

Thank you

Sign the joint union open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and demand better for NHS pay

07/11/2025

21/10/2025

To all Unite members in NIAS.

NIAS Branch Committee

Unite the Union amendment to continuing action short of strike action (ASOS)

Following a meeting of Unite the Unions Ambulance Branch (NI) on Friday 25th October 2024, the following additional ASOS action was agreed by the Branch Committee. This escalation of action is a direct result of the continuing welfare issues which are directly affecting our members, including but not limited to missed rest breaks, no rest break at all and unacceptable late finishes.

From the start of all rest break windows Unite members should be returned by the control officer to their base station for rest break and not allocated to any call except for CAT1 and HOT1 calls.

To clarify this measure, the meal break windows are, 11:30 – 15:00, 16:00 – 18:30, 23:00 – 02:00. To give an example of our action, if a Unite member clears from Hospital at 11:30 they should be returned by the control officer to their base station for rest break and the only call category they should be allocated is a confirmed Cat1 or HOT1 call. This ASOS also applies to the other two meal break windows.
All existing ASOS will remain in place.

The new ASOS measures will begin at 11:30 am on Friday 1st of November 2024.

Please contact NIAS Unite the Union, Branch Secretary in the first instance for any clarification if unavailable please contact any Branch officer.

Unite Branch B0024 Committee

17/09/2025

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/health/union-calls-for-action-after-just-three-operators-answering-999-calls-across-all-of-ni/a1433263456.html?fbclid=IwZnRzaAM302pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmod2jk_Vjpet4cOGv7wowcwJYshbvUCpIK9vxk5C34s7UKOc2oSp-s6g6Vr_aem_I0HnhqNlMTEPqQFQO12J2g

A trade union has called on the Health Minister to act after just three operators were left to answer emergency calls for the entirety of Northern Ireland.

14/08/2025

Dear UNITE members,

On the evening of 13 August 2025 a message was placed on the MDT screens regarding CSP escalation. This message stated that you must take your meal break at the nearest NIAS/HSC facility, this has caused enormous confusion among all staff and is incorrect.

UNITE the Union spoke with the senior on call officer last night and today have spoken with the Director of Operations and Director of HR in relation to the message. We made it quite clear that we view this as an act of bad faith and will be seeking a meeting with the Chief Executive to ensure this never happens again.

UNITE the Union members are on Action Short Of Strike Action (ASOS) this action is lawfully constituted and NIAS have been fully informed of this action.
At the start of your shift please inform the controller that you are taking part in ASOS via MDT.
You may be asked to take your meal break off station but as part of the ASOS you can inform them that you are taking part in ASOS and wish to return to your base station for your meal break as per UNITE’s lawful ASOS. If you have any difficulties with this, please inform any UNITE representative or ask control to contact UNITE’s Branch Secretary Ricky Dundas if they need clarification on UNITE’s ASOS. (We do have an understanding that we would temporarily suspend ASOS in the event of a declared major incident but CSP escalation is not a declared major incident).

UNITE will maintain this action until we are sure that the welfare of our members is fully protected and that our members are all treated fairly with dignity and respect. Unfortunately recent events have demonstrated that we are still not there yet.

Thank You all for your continued support.

UNITE the Union Branch Committee.

27/06/2025

Dear Members,
The Branch committee met today (27th June) and the following statement was released in relation to ongoing issues..
We're pleased to let you know that your Unite the Union officials recently met with the Health Minister to discuss our ongoing Action Short of Strike (ASOS). The Minister clearly understands our position and the critical issues you're facing.
Following this productive meeting, we've secured a commitment for further discussions directly with Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) management. Our main goal in these upcoming meetings is to establish a robust procedure that mirrors our ASOS, specifically addressing key staff welfare issues. Unite the Union ASOS remains unchanged.
We will be pushing for a clear and effective process to manage:
• Late finishes
• Missed meal breaks
• Staff shortages
We also want to highlight our serious concerns regarding staffing levels. Fully funded vacancies for paramedics on Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs) remain unfilled, while other paramedics are being taken off the road for new posts at HQ. This situation is simply unsustainable and puts further pressure on an already stretched service.
We believe a dedicated procedure is essential to ensure your well-being and to properly address the significant pressures you are working under. We will keep you informed of developments as these crucial meetings progress. Thank you for your continued solidarity and commitment.
In unity,

Unite Branch Committee.

08/06/2025

New data exposes shortfalls in night-time ambulance and rapid response cover



Unite demands 45-minute maximum ambulance waiting times outside emergency departments to reduce pressures on service



Unite has released data revealing the crisis in night-time shift cover in Northern Ireland’s Ambulance Service (NIAS). The figures cover a 30 day period from 2 April to 1 May and include shift staffing for double-crewed ambulances (DCAs) and rapid response vehicles (RRVs). On only four nights did the number of DCA crews meet the target number of shifts; in RRV shifts, the target was not reached day or night for the entire 30 days. There were huge variation more locally with some areas having surplus cover while at the same time other were left without any cover.



The crisis in shift cover in NIAS is rooted in a long-term failure to recruit and retain workers as well as the practice of having ambulances waiting hours outside hospitals to handover patients.



The union’s NIAS membership is calling for the immediate introduction of a 45-minute maximum waiting time for ambulances to be parked outside emergency departments with all patients being accepted by hospitals at that point.



Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The latest figures are shocking but not a surprise to our members. They have been constantly warning that short staffing is endangering the lives of patients.



“Our members in NIAS have had enough. They and their patients are left to wait hours outside emergency departments so that trusts can massage their waiting times. We are demanding an absolute limit of 45-minute waiting outside emergency departments. That would be a meaningful step to reduce pressures.”



Unite members in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service continue to participate in a work to rule which commenced in November 2024 over staff welfare and safe staffing.



Unite regional officer Norman Cunningham said: “Workers are being forced to take industrial action because management has refused to listen to their concerns. NIAS bosses need to back off plans to change rotas which will only further decrease night cover and instead focus on covering the existing shifts.”