A PLANNED 72-HOUR work stoppage by members of the National Ambulance Service next week has been stood down following “significant progress” in talks with the HSE.

Following four days of talks, the Labour Court has requested that the strike and the work-to-rule be stood down to allow the process to conclude.

Siptu said the ongoing work-to-rule, which began on 11 May, will be stood down at noon today to allow the process to continue.

“While this engagement was difficult and challenging at times, we believe that significant progress has been made,” John McCamley, the ambulance sector organiser for Siptu, said.

“We remain in process, but the Labour Court has requested more time to deliberate on some of the issues in dispute. We are hopeful that this process will bring this long-standing dispute to a resolution.”

Unite spokesman Eoin Drummey also confirmed the move, which he said followed “extremely difficult and challenging” talks.

He said the union believed significant progress had been made over longstanding pay issues and all parties were awaiting recommendations from the Labour Court.

Siptu and Unite workers had been engaged in a work-to-rule amid the dispute over pay and conditions and had already carried out a 24-hour work stoppage last week.

The unions suspended a planned 48-hour stoppage for this week as they entered into direct talks with the HSE at the Labour Court on Monday.

The unions say qualifications, clinical responsibilities and operational duties of emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics, advanced paramedics, paramedic specialists and paramedic supervisors have expanded significantly in recent years.

They also say a 5% increase recommended under a previous process has not been delivered.

The unions want the HSE to drop pre-conditions around its previous pay proposal which critics have said would see a reduction in the number of trained paramedics in a crew, and because of changes to overtime, could see some pay decrease.

With reporting from Press Association