I wish that we could all choose when we become sick. It would make life so much easier, as well as helping out Ambulance Service payroll departments across the land.
Don’t be unsocially sick! Always be socially sick! That’s the message!
Although Trade Unions and Ambulance Employers are still in discussions about this, and we do not know the outcome as yet, it is plain to see that this is leading to industrial confrontation if it is not resolved soon.
It is a mess to say the least! A mess made more messy by reckless threats of imposition by some ambulance employers.
This is not about, as some will have us believe, ambulance workers wanting something for nothing. Neither is it about ambulance workers wanting to be treated differently to everyone else in the Health Service because of being ‘special’ and apart from all others in the NHS Health Team.
We are not better, or special, but we are unique! Unique in the job and the role we play throughout the National Health Service.
That said, in the context of unsocial hour payments we are different. Ambulance Workers in England are on different Terms and Conditions when it comes to calculations of unsocial hour payments than the rest of the NHS.
We have ‘Annex E’ when it comes to these calculations and the rest of the NHS has ‘Section 2’ (within the National Agenda for Change (AfC)Â Handbook)!
Different contract – Different calculations – Different payments. Different. Different. Different.
The reason for the difference (Agenda for Change (AfC)Â implementation and transition) is not so much of importance as to the fact of the difference.
In simple terms Annex E has a ‘cap’ of 25% unsocial hour payments, no matter how much unsocial hours are worked. Section 2 doesn’t!
Ambulance workers are hit by a double whammy. A 25% cap on unsocial hours and a deduction of unsocial hours if falling sick (unsocially sick) no matter how much unsocial hours are worked above the 25%.
Is it any wonder ambulance workers are angry.
So, when the change to the Agenda for Change (AfC) handbook was agreed by the National Staff Council (to come in on 1st April 2013)Â Annex E was never mentioned, and, therefore, no changes to Annex E were agreed by the Trade Unions.
For those who say that all staff should be on the same Terms and Conditions within the Health Service, particularly when it comes to unsocial hour payments, I couldn’t agree more!
So let’s start talking about that instead of making ambulance work (a difficult, stressful job) more difficult and stressful.
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Eric Roberts
Branch Secretary.
