Thursday, June 5, 2008
** Leeds and Grenville, Ontario medics reluctantly settle contract
** Queensland vows to crack down on hoax 000 callers
** UK EMS unions resist private oversight of struggling hospital
CANADA NEWS
** Paramedics in Leeds and Grenville, Ontario have agreed to accept a wage deal giving them 8.5 per cent over two years. The Recorder (Ronald Zajac/June 4) said the agreement, which was described as being reluctantly ratified, resulted from a Monday mediation meeting. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4440 president Dave Hone said the deal, which covers 2007-2008 is a terrible one and members were subdued in their reaction to it. Under the contract, practitioners will top out at $30.72 per hour, compared to other EMS wage earners in Eastern Ontario who average $31.13. The provincial average is $31.67 per hour. Area prehospital workers have been without a deal since December 31, 2006.
AUSTRALIA NEWS
** In a effort to stem the growing tide of hoax 000 callers, Queensland ambulance service is vowing to continue to prosecute offenders. The Courier Mail (Rosemary Odgers/June 5) quoted Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts as saying the service is inundated already with about 100 bogus help hails a week. With an expected upswing in call volumes by about 27,000 in the 2008-09 period, he hinted resources could be overstretched without cranks coming under control. By the close of the financial year this month, medics will have responded to about 523,000 emergency code 1 and code 2 calls, a 10 per cent hike over last year.
UNITED KINGDOM NEWS
** Ambulance unions, as well as other health care organizations, are up in arms over a plan to allow private companies to manage struggling NHS hospitals. That is the word from IC Tamworth (June 4) which quoted Unison national officer Mike Jackson as saying the plan was foolhardy, given that private managers would be inexperienced in overseeing complex services such as emergency care. Jackson’s sentiments were echoed by GMB union spokesman Paul Kenny. Kenny, whose organization also represents medics, said his members would strongly resist the move.
