ambulance service union

ASU The Ambulance Service Union Scotland ASU SCOTLAND@aol.com All general enquiries should be directed to ASUSCOTLAND@aol.com The ASU has received many enquiries and questions, below is a list of the most frequent questions and answers. Should you have a question not listed, please send an email to ASUSCOTLAND@aol.com If you are a member please quote your membership number if not we will still consider your enquiry. Q1. I joined the ASU prior to the merger with GMB and have not yet received my new membership number. What should I do? A1. Following the merger all members of the ASU were transferred to GMB North West & Irish Regional Office in Liverpool. We are aware that some members have still to receive their new membership card and number, and request that they complete all their details as posted on the notice board on the web page. This will enable the Scottish Branch Secretary to deal with this direct. Q2. In my station there is a broad mix of staff. Some are in the ASU, the other unions and many are not in any union. The non union members say they are fed up with the unions as they have never done anything for them in the past and often quote how they have allowed management to mismanage the afc. They say they feel under pressure at times to join a union and at times this creates tensions amongst staff. There is no ASU rep in our station what can we do? A2. Everyone has a right to decide whether or not they wish to join a union and should not be singled out or feel pressurised because of their individual opinion. It is unfortunate and a fact that approximately a third of staff in the service are not in any union, they have little or no say in matters which affect them most and can miss out in the benefits and security of good representation should this need arise. This applies to any union; of course the ASU believes we offer the best services and representation dealing solely with ambulance service matters and now following the merger with GMB we have the added expertise of one of the UK’s national unions. Why not elect one of your colleagues as a rep? The ASU understands this can be a daunting prospect especially if you have no prior knowledge. This infact can be to your advantage. The training offered by the GMB@work programme is exceptional and is tailored to suit the ASU within the ambulance services throughout the UK. If you can arrange a meeting with the ASU members in your station we can send along some of our branch officials to answer any of your questions and assist in organising your group. We are prepared to make this an open meeting which may also encourage non union members to reconsider their position. The Ambulance Service Union is a branch of GMB : Working Together REGIONAL OFFICE Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, Liverpool, Tel: 0151 727 0077 Fax: 0151 728 2929 Q3. Why do management and the other unions refuse to acknowledge and accept the ASU name? A3. The ASU was formed by a group of ex Unison Officials and stewards that were uncomfortable with the support and services offered by their union. They decided to form the ASU which would deal solely with ambulance service matters and best serve the interests of ambulance personnel. As the ASU grew in strength, this affected the membership of the other unions with the added loss of member’s subscriptions. The ASU name is recognised in other ambulance services as GMB/ASU or ASU/GMB; our management are refusing to acknowledge our name because they say they have no agreement with the ASU only the GMB and this has come direct from the Board. The ASU Scotland Branch Officials along with the GMB full time officer are awaiting a date at National HQ to address this as a mater of priority. During the negotiations for merging the ASU with the GMB and as part of the Instrument of Transfer which sets down the agreed conditions for the merger, it clearly states: “(d) Former members of the transferring Union and persons first becoming members of the receiving Union after the effective date and being recruited or allocated to an ASU branch shall together be referred to as “ASU members”. The full Instrument of Transfer can be accessed from the GMB web site and a copy also attached to the notice board here. As soon as we have discussed this with management we shall post a notice on this site. Q4. I have been unable to contact a rep and find this totally unsatisfactory. The contact details on the old ASU web site are out of date. A4. This has been a matter of concern for all members of the Scotland Branch and numerous requests have been made to have this updated or removed. There is a technical problem with the old site which should be addressed soon. Following a meeting of members from ASU Branches throughout the UK and the willingness and expertise of our administrator it was decided to set up this site following the merger of the ASU and GMB. Q5. Why is there so much hostility from some members of the other unions? ASU The Ambulance Service Union Scotland ASU SCOTLAND@aol.com A5. This could be down to personalities; some people believe they will be found out for decisions agreed with management in the past. The ASU bears no malice; it’s for the service The Ambulance Service Union is a branch of GMB : Working Together REGIONAL OFFICE Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, Liverpool, Tel: 0151 727 0077 Fax: 0151 728 2929 employees to make their own interpretation of this which many have shown by the increase in our membership. Q6. I am not in any union and can understand if you do not reply. I have been of on long term sick and will shortly be going on to half wages what can I do. A6. This is only the second enquiry we have received on this subject and felt compelled to address this here. There are so many variables such as your age, length of service, was your sickness due to injury at work, what you see as a reasonable resolve for your future and of course the involvement of your manager, OHS and your own GP. Some individuals believe they can manage this on their own, however this can be a minefield and the expertise of the union can be extremely beneficial on whether you return to work be this in a different role, receive more money if this absence was caused by your employment or if by agreement you choose to retire on health grounds, again if not managed correctly you could be at a disadvantage if not represented appropriately be this in negotiation or just guidance. The ASU would strongly recommend that you join a union or if you are at the stage of retiring consult with you personnel department and also consider the Citizens Advice Bureau. Q7. Why did the ASU choose to merge with the GMB? ASU The Ambulance Service Union Scotland ASU SCOTLAND@aol.com A7. The ASU was growing steadily and overcoming many obstacles as they arose, a point was reached when it became apparent that to progress and be taken to the next level we would need to achieve formal recognition. The existing unions did not appeal as likely options as we had different opinions and approach. The GMB were active within the NHS although the membership varied from region to region throughout the UK we both believed we had much to offer each other and having the best of both worlds the merger was negotiated and formalised. The Ambulance Service Union is a branch of GMB : Working Together REGIONAL OFFICE Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, Liverpool, Tel: 0151 727 0077 Fax: 0151 728 2929