Walks Like A Duck
A common view is that ambulance staff have been portrayed as if they've been unreasonable or greedy - in relation to the long-running SAS 'rest breaks' dispute.
Now I see can see where these folks are coming from - and the ones I've spoken to are not that way inclined at all - greedy or unreasonable that is.
But as I said directly to the people concerned - I think ambulance staff have been poorly served in this dispute - by the SAS and the trade unions.
Because the widespread public attitude is that it has absolutely been all about money - not about the service to the public.
The focus has been on trying - for years - to put more money into the pockets of individual staff - by continuing to work 40 hours a week - but in return for an extra £2, 200 a year.
Instead of arguing for more staff and funds - to be invested directly into improving the service.
Now if this was all down to the SAS management - which some folks tell me - what I don't understand is this:
'Why did the trade unions - GMB, Unison and Unite - put forward and recommend an offer members - which focused only on the question of more money for their members?'
In fact they did this more than once - but never did I hear the trade unions say publicly - that what they really wanted all along was more ambulance crews - to enable the SAS to introduce a 37.5 hour week.
In my experience of these things - if something walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - then the chances are it's actually a duck.
And in this case it seems perfectly clear to me - that the underlying negotiating strategy was to put more money in people's pockets - not more ambulance crews on Scotland's roads.
