If the London Ambulance Service had been around 362 years ago yesterday (30th January 1649) we would have had crews doing Active Area Cover near the Banqueting House in Whitehall. They would have witnessed, along with thousands and thousands of other people also present, a remarkable event.
They would have seen the King of England walk out from a first floor window onto a wooden platform specially built for the occasion, kneel down, and have his head chopped off by a hooded secret executioner!
Charles 1 had his head separated from his body after the conclusion of a 3 day trial in Westminster Hall, at which he was accused, and found guilty, of treason and taking up arms against the people in the English Civil War!
What would the watching ambulance staff have been thinking and feeling? Almost certainly they would have been frightened and confused to say the least. In the deeply religious England of that time the King was thought, by almost everybody, himself included, to be a direct descendant from God with a divine right to rule!
And they had just seen the four foot seven inch gift from the angels be reduced to three foot seven inches!
In front of their eyes they had seen a King die and a Republic born.
Powerful stuff from a powerful period in our history that is rarely taught in schools, and if it is, you can bet it is taught from a completely prejudiced anti Cromwell point of view.
Fast forward 362 years and what have we got? The Department of Health (strangely enough, just down the road from the Banqueting House!) is in talks with the unions via the NHS Employers, about granting a day off for the forthcoming Royal wedding (being held, strangely enough, just up the road from the Banqueting House!).
Those 362 year old ambulance staff must be shaking their heads with the irony of it all. Still, as they had no break, they can go home early. Result!
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All that said of course, no one is going to turn down an extra day off. The day has been offered outside of Agenda for Change. The reason for this is that our National Handbook and AfC contracts only give us 8 Bank Holidays.
Because it is not part of Agenda for Change the payments will also be different on this day if there is an agreement.
The NHS Employer’s have stated that ’employees required to work on 29 April 2011 would be paid at plain time rates with a day off in lieu, other staff would be entitled to a day’s paid leave.’
They have also made clear that, ‘at national level, they would not be able to agree to additional payment at enhanced rate.’
More to follow in due course.
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The Coalition White Paper (Health and Social Care Bill) is going through Parliament for its second reading today (31st January 2011).
The expected outcome will slam the front door on a free democratic National Health Service while unlocking the back door to privatisation, profit greedy opportunists, American style insurance, Foundation Trust anarchy and, all of this, will be masquerading as ‘any willing provider’.
The Committee Stage and the Lords come next.
The 30th January 1649 – 31st January 2011.
Get them in Oliver, after today we will all need a stiff drink!
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The government is planning to sell off our forests and woodlands! You have to read that sentence slowly to realise the breathtaking enormity of what they are doing.
Some people are saying it is sheer vandalism. Others are asking have the Tories gone mad?
They are not mad. They know exactly what they are doing. It is unfinished business.
Bit by bit they are trying to beat the last drop of social and community spirit out of the people of Britain. By putting a price on everything, they devalue everything.
People used to say that they will be charging for the air that we breath one day. With the selling off of the forests and woodlands, that day is a bit closer!
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If you are reading this, work for the London Ambulance Service or are eligible to join, and are not yet a member of UNISON Join Today!
 I Am Frontline You Are Frontline We Are All Frontline
We are stronger together.
Eric Roberts
Branch Secretary.
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