UNISON Yorkshire Ambulance Service Branch has been in negotiations for a number of months over a suitable Workforce Plan. As unions we feel we have given everything we can to try and come to a resolution that would be beneficial to members, would work for the Trust and ultimately would improve patient care.

UNISON put a final proposal to the Trust two weeks ago that fitted with the above criteria, and, as negotiations have been ongoing for over a year, gave a deadline of yesterday. The unions were led to believe by the Trust that a decision would be imminent. Unfortunately this has been an all too familiar story. The unions have been fobbed off with excuses and false dawns of proposals for months and months, yet again we have heard nothing, and just been kept in the dark. It appears that there different opinions of what Partnership working is. Of late it appears that Partnership is not the way forward for the Trust, unless of course it is something that the Trust want, then it’s a rush to get things sorted.

Too many times we have been told it will be sorted in two weeks, it will be agreed at the next meeting, that we are just waiting for approval from this person or another. The excuses have been limitless and despite apparently having rotas in the Trusts possession for months, and a promise of a rota on every station by the end of September, not one has been released as yet. Constantly the excuses as to what is blocking the plan have flowed, from private contractors and managers on leave to lack of funds.

The last one of lack of funds being of particular interest, when through FOI requests, it has been highlighted how the Trust appears to have spent funds over the last few  years, spending hundreds of thousands on outside consultancy firms, millions of pounds on agency staff, millions on private providers, extravagant new reception areas, emergency vehicles that are not fit for purpose, second hand vehicles with hundreds of thousands of miles already on the clock, and that needs thousands of pounds spending on them just to make them roadworthy, to name just a few.

Members have seen no benefits to the way the trust is working, late finishes are still the norm, members are being pushed to the limits, both physically and emotionally, policy changes are being forced in because the unions won’t agree with the trusts point of view or agreed policies are being blatantly ignored, terms and conditions eroded away with yet again no agreement, the list goes on and on.

So with all that is happening, is this employer one that you would support to move to Foundation Trust Status, a position that would allow the Trust to move away from Agenda for Change and further attack our terms and conditions.

It may be news to some members but you are supporting the Trusts move to Foundation Trust (FT). You were ‘opted in’ as a member when the trust first set off on its pursuit of FT status. However that is not the end, the decision to stay a member of FT or withdraw your support are yours and yours alone.

Now is the time to pull your support. If you agree fill out the attached form and let the Trust know just how you feel about the current state of the service and that you have had enough of being treated this way and seeing the service driven into the ground.

Take the opportunity now to pull out of Foundation Trust membership, fill out the attached form and send it in to the address given.

The issue of a vote of no confidence has also been raised by a number of members. Over the next few weeks meetings will be arranged for each area in order to allow members to come forward, discuss the proposal and take a vote.

UNISON YAS Branch is also in discussions with UNISON Region with regards the possibility of an industrial action ballot.