When we agreed the current Rest Break Agreement in 2006, it was the first time, ever, in any Ambulance Service, that operational staff were guaranteed an uninterruptible rest break,  once it was allocated. So why is it, at the time of writing, that only 35% of staff are actually allocated a break?
Our aspirations and expectations at the time of signing the agreement was that an average of 75% of staff would have the rest break that they were entitled to.
Apart from the first couple of months when rest breaks were in the spotlight, the Service has not gone anywhere near that figure.
It has got to the stage were it is taken for granted by both staff and management that rest breaks will not be allocated. This is unacceptable and totally undermines the progress we originally made.
Our Rest Break Agreement was, and is, a groundbreaking, progressive move forward which gave ambulance staff the same rights as all workers to have a break; a time of rest, away from their work. In theory of course, we always had that right. In practise, however, it rarely happened.
Both the Union and management took a bold step, in the face of criticism from the press and other Services, with this policy.
We are slowly, bit by bit, drip by drip, going into reverse, back to the bad old days. It sometimes feels that giving staff a break is too much of a nuisance, a policy that gets in the way of running an ambulance service.
As you would expect there is a lot of debate, excuses, argument and counter argument, over how and why we have reached this position of 35%.
One thing cannot be argued though, and that is that the Rest Break Agreement (jointly signed let us not forget) has never been given the chance to work, or, conversely, to show that it doesn’t work.
This is through no fault of staff, either in EOC (Emergency Operation Centre) or staff on stations.
There is a lack of focus.
No one has taken control, or responsibility, of making sure that rest breaks are allocated fairly, correctly and consistently.
That is the problem. Everything else is peripheral.
The recent Rest Break Review meeting ended without agreement.  UNISON Senior Sector Representatives want to see the current policy working as it was intended before any changes (that might be needed) are made.
I do not believe that is an unreasonable request. I support that position.
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Eric Roberts
Branch Secretary.
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