I know no-one is allowed to say that public sector workers are “cosseted”. And of course no-one can ever say anything nasty about anyone who works in the emergency services. Salt of the earth types, heroically serving the public good each and every one of them. We scarcely deserve these Little Jesuses, don’t you know?
That’s the official line. The truth is a little different. Some of the time anyway. Some people would rather let people die than interrupt their tea-break. Yes they would. Really. Look:
Union members have rejected the latest deal to resolve a dispute over rest breaks for ambulance staff in Scotland.
Fears that patients’ lives could be put at risk have been rekindled following yesterday’s decision by paramedics and ambulance crews to reject the latest management offer aimed at breaking the deadlock.
The latest enhanced package would have given ambulance personnel a one-off payment of £1,500 plus a payment of £100 each time their rest break was interrupted, to replace the previous £250 annual payment.
The offer was rejected by 77 per cent of ambulance crews who are members of the GMB union, 62 per cent of Unite members and 65 per cent of Unison members.
The dispute first flared following the furore over the death of Mandy Mathieson in October, 2010, at her home in the Speyside village of Tomintoul.
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