Ambulance drivers to strike

The Union Haddiema Maghqudin said yesterday that talks with the government on the granting of allowances for ambulance drivers had failed and it would therefore be ordering industrial action by the drivers.

The union said it was requesting recognition of the work done by the drivers through the granting of an allowance as was the case for other health sector workers.

It recalled that when talks on the matter failed late last year, industrial action was taken by the drivers between January and March this year.

On March 1 the Health Department invited the union for talks to resolve the issue. The actions were suspended and the talks resumed with the "highest government authorities". But they ended in failure last Friday.

The union said it therefore had no alternative but to order industrial action.