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NHS budget cuts mean medical staff with only eight weeks training are 'doing the job of qualified paramedics'

Emergency Care Assistants are being put in charge of ambulances attending life threatening incidents such as heart attacks, chest pains and breathing difficulties.

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Paramedics working for the South West Ambulance Trust have been given a number of options to avoid redundancies. Paramedics across the South West have been told that they could face pay cuts, work a day for free or see their holiday's reduced. Workers were told by a "Change to Protect" letter which was sent to the 2000 paramedics that work for the trust. The ambulance service has said that the suggestions were in a bid to save 4 million pounds, and if one of the options can't be agreed then jobs may have to be axed. The news has sparked angry responses as there are already concerns about pension reforms.

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, has hit back at government ministers and business leaders who are trying to attack the legitimacy of yesterday's strike ballot result, on the basis of turnout.

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A meeting of the TUC's Public Services Liaison Group (PSLG) at Congress House in London on Wednesday  the following statement was agreed:- 

'At the meeting earlier today Danny Alexander and Francis Maude outlined a number of new proposals to the TUC negotiating team, including an improvement in the proposed accrual rates within the major public service schemes compared to their previous position, and new proposed transitional protections for those closest to retirement. They also indicated a long-term commitment to any agreed reforms not being reopened within the next 25 years.

'The PSLG welcomed this movement in the government's position which has come as a direct result of the strength of feeling and determination shown by public sector workers and the groundswell of support for the TUC's day of action at the end of this month.

'These proposals, and their detailed implications for the pensions offer within each scheme, will now need to be considered in detail within the sector specific negotiations, alongside all the other issues including proposed contribution increases, increases in the pension age, and the impact of the indexation change from RPI to CPI on which the government's position remains unchanged.

'All the unions have indicated throughout this process their determination to reach a negotiated settlement on all these issues. That remains the position and unions will engage intensively in the coming weeks. But unless and until further real progress is made and acceptable offers are made within those negotiations, unions remain firmly committed to continuing their preparations for the planned day of action on November 30.

'A further meeting of the PSLG will be held in November to consider reports on any progress made within the sector talks.'

Half of British workers have been ill-treated at work in the last two years, researchers have found, with several million also suffering from 'impossible workloads'. The study found 4.9 per cent of workers were victims of violence while 22.3 per cent said they were treated in a disrespectful or rude way. Over a quarter, 27 per cent, said they felt ignored. The study, by academics from Cardiff and Plymouth universities, used data from face-to-face interviews with 3,979 workers. It is based on data from the British Workplace Behaviour Survey, gathered in 2008. The team also looked in depth at four large employers, using them as case studies. Workers in the public sector were reported to be 'particularly at risk' of rudeness, disrespect, violence and injury. Disabled employees, those with long-term health problems and younger staff are all more likely to experience ill treatment at work, as were lesbian, gay and bisexual workers. The report claims around 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 British workers suffer from 'impossible workloads' and 'not being listened to'. Managers and supervisors were blamed for two-thirds of incidents of unreasonable behaviour. Professor Ralph Fevre of Cardiff University, one of the report's authors, said: 'Sadly, our study shows that violence, ill-treatment and unreasonable behaviour are all too common in Britain's workplaces.' He added: 'Many managers saw staff welfare as low on their list of priorities, while some even felt ill-treatment of staff was expected of them.'