HONG KONG: The union representing the city's ambulancemen threatens its members may collectively abandon their professional qualifications, creating a potential crisis for the city's ambulance services.

The threatened job action arises from the displeasure among union members over salaries and working conditions.

At the crux of the issue is the report on grade structure reviews for the disciplined services. The Fire Services Department Ambulancemen's Union said the report failed to address employee demands for better working conditions.

The threat that ambulancemen may relinquish their credentials, leaving them unqualified to perform intubation, prescribe medication or even to drive ambulances, has raised the ire of patients' rights groups.

Patients Rights Association spokesman Tim Pang Hung-cheong said he feared that patients' interests will be put at risk.

"It is not appropriate to risk the treatment of patients," he said. "We understand that the ambulancemen have their concerns, but they should not use patients as their bargaining chips."

Union chairman Wat Ki-on said ambulancemen have performed supplementary medical services, including intubation, since 1993.

Now the union is demanding that members' salaries should be on an equivalent scale to the scale applied to nurses.

Wat said the grade structure review recommends that the pay of ambulancemen should be raised only by a single increment. That, he said, is unacceptable to the union.

Wat said the union currently is clarifying legal issues with the department. Once the issues are clarified, the union members may collectively give up their professional qualifications, creating a crisis in the local ambulance service.

Wat pointed out that about three of every 10 patients requiring transport by ambulance need supplementary medical services.

"Services will definitely be affected if we take the action. We have no other alternative," he said.

Wat anticipated public dissatisfaction over the union's action.

"But the root of the problem is caused by the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service," he said.

He added that the union's attempts to meet the standing committee had failed.

Secretary for the Civil Service Denise Yue earlier said recommendations on the grade structure reviews will be submitted to the Chief Executive-in-Council in the fall.

Hong Kong Fire Services Department Staff General Association chairman Chiu Sin-chung said members will meet on August 11 and 12, exactly one year after the death of firemen Siu Wing-fong and Chan Siu-lung in a Mong Kok blaze.

Chiu did not rule out organizing a protest at that time.

A spokesman for Fire Services Department said the department has close communication with different staff unions and it understands the union demands.

The spokesman urged staff to express their views through existing negotiating channels.

The ambulancemen are not alone in their dissatisfaction with the pay grade review.

Immigration Service Officers' Association vice chairman Ngai Sik-shui said the starting salary for junior officers and immigration officers should be raised. The maximum salary for junior officers should also be raised.

"We are also performing our duties. But the starting and maximum point of our salary is lower than the other disciplinary forces, which is an insult to immigration department officers," he said.

Four Immigration Department staff unions will hold talks on Sunday, which will be attended by the Director of Immigration.

(HK Edition 08/01/2009 page1)