Where is NASRA?

ambo112

Anyone know what NASRA are up to?

Have they won any rights?

Are they recognised etc....

There were a lot of promises but no results yet, what am I paying for?

I know they have done great work with the hreivance procedure and have advised a lot of staff etc...

The only communication I get are special offers, which is good.

But they don't have the most important thing a union needs, they aren't fighting the real issues and are not making public, the current issues we face!

IMO - anyone agree or disagree (with evidence). Losing faith in them at the moment.

paraletic

They spoke on the rte news last month about some issues.
http://www.nasra.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=264:nasra-chairman-michael-dixon-on-rtes-news-at-one-explains-the-growing-demands-on-ambulance-personnel&catid=50:latest-news&Itemid=244

I do agree we don't see or hear much from them. (and i dont think people hear much from siptu either).

Bang Bang

paraletic wrote: »

They spoke on the rte news last month about some issues.
http://www.nasra.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=264:nasra-chairman-michael-dixon-on-rtes-news-at-one-explains-the-growing-demands-on-ambulance-personnel&catid=50:latest-news&Itemid=244

I do agree we don't see or hear much from them. (and i dont think people hear much from siptu either).

In my station the union notice board is frequently updated with news, etc from SIPTU. The last NASRA update was February 2011, over a year and a half ago!!

supermedic

In my area, all of the staff get regular emails of all relevant material from our SIPTU reps. If you ask a question , you get an answer.

ambo112

Yea, im really thinking about going back to SIPTU, NASRA is a great concept but concepts aren't good enough today.

Eru

ambo112 wrote: »

Yea, im really thinking about going back to SIPTU, NASRA is a great concept but concepts aren't good enough today.

supermedic wrote: »

In my area, all of the staff get regular emails of all relevant material from our SIPTU reps. If you ask a question , you get an answer.

Not being a para or eligable for either union Im only suggesting here BUT was SIPTU so active before they faced competition?

Bang Bang

Eru wrote: »

Not being a para or eligable for either union Im only suggesting here BUT was SIPTU so active before they faced competition?

In my opinion they were, certainly in my region anyhow.

winsome

ambo112 wrote: »

Anyone know what NASRA are up to?

Have they won any rights?

Are they recognised etc....

There were a lot of promises but no results yet, what am I paying for?

I know they have done great work with the hreivance procedure and have advised a lot of staff etc...

The only communication I get are special offers, which is good.

But they don't have the most important thing a union needs, they aren't fighting the real issues and are not making public, the current issues we face!

IMO - anyone agree or disagree (with evidence). Losing faith in them at the moment.

Well, Ambo 112.
Firstly, nothing to do with opinion-just the facts.
1. NASRA have spurred on the current progress being suddenly offered by the NAS with regard to transfers. SIPTU have had this issue on the table for 20 years and nothing was done. Due to the tenacity of the NASRA campaign, including assisting at grievances throughout the country, appearing on a dozen or more media fronts campaigning these issues the NAS has been shamed into moving -or being seen to -move paramedics closer to home. From the sounds of it, you aren't in the service any lenght of time, and havnr spent the past ten years or more driving over a hundred miles each way to work, but if you were, you would realise its because of the pressure being exerted in the past twelve months , not twenty years that progress has been made.
2.Your eleven euro? You wonder where it is going? Well seeing as NASRA has no full time officers unlike SIPTU it isn't going on junkets or fact finding missions.The main people running NASRA are very experienced paramedics who are holding down their jobs, as well as organising a whole union.They are doing this to take care of and represent their own colleagues, who so far have not been represented, as the Ambulance Service is only a tiny fraction of the SIPTU machine.What are they doing you say? Have you not checked the monthly updated website? Have you not received the only dedicated colour Ambulance Service newletter 'Frontline' to your station every three months? Have you not made contact with the NASRA designated office staff that operate the phones/email and can pass on messages to the NASRA officers directly? Did you not attend any of the two dozen open to all meetings that were held the length and breadth of Ireland with an opportunity to bring up issues directly? Did you not hear/read/see any of the media reports with interviews and statements being made by NASRA about the NAS as a standalone profession? Do you not have a regional/station rep to discuss issues with?In comparison,name any union that is so accessible and that repeatedly stands up for its members?
Remember, NASRA was only formed two years ago, by full time paramedics, who are balancing work with union responsibilities. In comparison, and as evidence, compare to 20+ years of SIPTU..
If SIPTU had done their jobs properly-there wouldnt BE a NASRA,and remember every seasoned paramedic with a half decent length of service-(ie not the students or interns who have just joined the NAS/ union who have little or no experience of life in the service before the new dedicated ambulance service union was formed) in NASRA was once a SIPTU veteran.. What does that tell you?

winsome

Eru wrote: »

Not being a para or eligable for either union Im only suggesting here BUT was SIPTU so active before they faced competition?

Exactly!

ambo112

I assume you are NASRA then, subtle clues but I picked on them :-)

I have considerable service under my belt and I appreciate everything NASRA do to make themselves easily accessible.

I thought SIPTU agreed the transfer policy and everything else we have to date.

Just curious as to where NASRA stand on the negotiation rights, member numbers and what agreements they have made???

supermedic

Winsome, I suppose that NASRA were responsible for the 37.5% pay increase that was achieved under the 2 benchmarking awards (admittedly the second 12.5% was not paid by our government), they must also have been responsible for the 25% pay increase for paramedics who underwent the AP training course. Surely it was NASRA who led the huge change programmatic within the ambulance service by being a huge part of PHECC for the last decade. It must have been NASRA who secured 410 extra new positions over the next 4 years for a national ICV service and almost 200 additional paramedic jobs over the last 4 years. Of course if you scan the Labour Courts web site, you'll find dozens of successful ambulance related recommendations by NASRA.......... Not to mention the countless small success that have happened in every part of the country for years.

Sorry No..... Not one thing that NASRA has done in the last 2 years has change or even remotely altered what has happened in the NAS. SIPTU, like it or not have done it all.

Tango Alpha 51

Supermedic,

I'm assuming you're SIPTU?. Where was the grand debate which took place about changing our working terms & conditions?. Where was SIPTU when Paramedics went looking for support to get additional money for our upskilling?. SIPTU might have got the 25% benchmark 10 years ago but where were they when the government was taking it off us?. SIPTU/IARC have given alot away without getting anything back in return for the majority of the operational road staff. All unions seem to be letting the ambulance service down in general.

supermedic

Which change to terms and conditions do you refer to? The decision on the upskilling made by IARC on the basis of the success that had happened previous was well founded. The AP's completed the course and practiced for almost 4 years before they got one euro in extra pay. AP's got no money for upskilling. The same decision was made by reps from all around the country. The national economy was/is in dire straits, better to have the upskilling completed, our staff working at a higher level of expertise and then prove the benefits to the government. It could only be the most naive cave dweller that thinks any public service is going to get any sort of a pay increase in the current climate.
More nativity in thinking that any union, representing any group, could do anything to prevent the disastrous pay cuts that we have all suffered, the income levy, the USC, etc etc. on top of the elimination of the bit of O/T.
Even the most vocal and powerful unions have not been able to do anything. What different deal did the PNA secure for there core members?
I will agree that it would seem that all unions are letting the staff side down, not just in the ambulance service, but in all public services. However, I believe it a circular issue, we all did well in the good times, the Government is now taking its revenge on us in the bad times and we are all suffering for the government sponsored, media led, vilification of the public service.
The simple truth is it down to money and even our avenue of last resort, the Labour Court is constantly finding for the management side over the last few years.

Hightower21

With the cardiac allowance going at the end of the month are we going to hear from any of our unions?

Will both unions stay quite about it?

Will both unions say that this is not acceptable bla bla bla.... but actually do nothing

I would like to see some action on this.

supermedic

What action would you like to see taken by your union on this issue. This is not negotiation, it is the government making unilateral decisions without involving the unions at any stage. The deplorable act of having new entrants on 10% less was not "signed off" by any union. The state has made the decision, that's it !!
You need to look at the big powerful groups, like the nurses, teachers, clerical grades and see what they do... 1500 odd ambulance staff simply do not have the clout.... and before you say the strike word, how many of your already hard pushed colleagues would be willing to go without pay for any period of time?

ambo112

Tango Alpha 51 wrote: »

Supermedic,

I'm assuming you're SIPTU?. Where was the grand debate which took place about changing our working terms & conditions?. Where was SIPTU when Paramedics went looking for support to get additional money for our upskilling?. SIPTU might have got the 25% benchmark 10 years ago but where were they when the government was taking it off us?. SIPTU/IARC have given alot away without getting anything back in return for the majority of the operational road staff. All unions seem to be letting the ambulance service down in general.

I agree we are being let down, they plan to reduce a+e services with the ambulance service, they expect us to increase staff and vehicle numbers, increase our skill base and all with a reduced budget and lower pay!!

I have to say that along with the unions our management have a lot to answer for, they are responsible for budgets and targets, they don't seem to be pushing for any increase. A fraction of the a+e savings would make up the gap. But considering the majority of ambulance stations, vehicles and equipment are not fit for purpose along side the fact we have not had a uniform issue in over a year and a half, any replacement requests take a lifetime to arrive - if at all, I don't thing management give a damn about us!

Hightower21

I dont want to strike but I would like any union to stand up and fight a bit. There are whispers from Nasra, I havnt heard anything from Siptu.

Must get the lube out. think were all about **** by the goverment again.