Mark Quin: Ambulance Association Division Chairman on the impact of the St John ambulance labour strike

Christchurch Hato Hone St John ambulance workers are kicking off a day of nationwide rallies following pay negotiation breakdowns. 

More than two and a half thousand officers are taking part in staggered four-hour withdrawals of labour until 4am tomorrow. 

Christchurch staff will march from 8am. 

Ambulance Association Division Chairman Mark Quin told Ryan Bridge that St John will be operating at 70% capacity today. 

He says some areas aren't even noticing the staff withdrawals as they become accustomed to operating with so few staff. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Warning only call the ambulance today if you have life
threatening health issues. Saint John Ambulance staff are voted to
go ahead with a national withdrawal of labor after months
of foul pay negotiations. More than two and a half
thousand officers are staggering at four hour withdrawals of labor
until four am tomorrow. So this is all kicked off
in well an hour and a half ago. Now, this

(00:22):
withdrawal of labor. We're joined by Mark Quinn, who's with
the New Zealand Ambulance Association. Mark, good morning, good morning,
thanks for being with us. What is the worst time
to call an ambulance today? Do you have an idea?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
No, I mean I think in every person's world there's
always never a good time to call an ambulance. Would
be the simple way to call it.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
So, yeah, they're saying this is Saint John have mentioned
between the hours of six and ten am and then
ten to six to ten pm tonight, just because of
the way that shifts are structured and stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, so of course there is life preserving services across
and particularly covering from six to ten would be at
a time and six till ten tonight as well. That's
where generally the shifts on these multiple times when shifts
are changing over and even in Auckland which has an

(01:22):
exception and it has what we call swing shifts, so
those shifts start at various times eight nine, ten o'clock
through the twelve o'clock, So again those tifts will be
incurring a late start of four.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Hours and we'll be operating at seventy percent capacity. Is
that enough for the life preserving side of it?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Well, to be honest, that's what we run sometimes on
a daily basis. We've run lower than that at times
due to sick calls, particularly when we had COVID. So yeah,
some days in some areas. And that's the first interesting
feedback we're getting back that some of the areas are
not noticing the difference because they're running that low that
sometimes with ambulances due to various reasons.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
How low do we go?

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Good question, and this is the question we're asking, do
you want to have a third world run eminand service
or a first world eminance service which is well funded?
And that's the underlying issue.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Mark, what's the shortfall at the moment between what the
unions want and what acc and how new Zealand are
willing to fund Saint John.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
An actual percentages. You know, there's at least we haven't
got into the numbers, but we're probably well that offer
has been made below inflaciery pressures and we need to
get it up above a flation pred because we're playing.
We're nine months into an agreement and it's all very

(02:53):
well for people, just you know, politicians are particularly excited
in the coalition government to talk about allowing CPI, but
you know, we've been missing out and we had a
previous deal that was at six percent that Saint John
pulled out of where it was a sign seal settlement
and they pulled out of it. So this is that

(03:16):
this is our problem, expecting us to take a live
percentage on one that they had previously agreed to.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
What are they what are they offering if not.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Sex well below CPI. The at the moment there's a
two in there.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
What a two? It starts with a two yep. So
we've got a way to go, haven't we. And more
strike actions planned for Saturday for those who are interested. Mark,
Thanks for your time. Mark Quen The New Zealand Ambulance
Association twenty for.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
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Speaker 1 (03:53):
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