‘Final opportunity’ to resolve ambulance pay dispute before next strike

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

Crunch talks between the HSE and unions representing ambulance workers have been described as the “final opportunity” to resolve a pay dispute before a strike next week.

Siptu and Unite workers have 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.

Those talks continued into Tuesday but ended without agreement and are scheduled to resume on Thursday.

Support your Ambulance worker!

Striking today from Wexford to Donegal for fair pay and proper resources for the communities they serve. pic.twitter.com/1Qyti4uTn2

— SIPTU (@SIPTU) May 12, 2026

Siptu said it would be the “final opportunity” to resolve the dispute before a 72-hour work stoppage from next Tuesday.

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 per cent 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.