LAST-DITCH talks will take place in a bid to try and prevent a Millennium strike by East Lancashire ambulancemen, it was revealed today.

Mercy crews who rejected a three per cent pay deal have been called back to the negotiating table in a bid to prevent industrial action during the end-of-year party which would cause chaos.

Plans to ballot members of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGU), Unison and the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel (APAP) over industrial action have been put on hold until representatives can meet bosses in the next couple of weeks.

But paramedics have revealed they are prepared to strike during the critical Millennium weekend period if they are not given the same pay rise as nurses.

East Lancashire crews are angry that they have been offered less than nurses in the pay deals. Ambulance personnel have been offered a three per cent rise while nursing staff received 4.7 per cent.

Ian Jones, an ambulance technician and chapter chairman of the APAP, said members of the TGU and Unison will be represented in the talks by the Whitley Council, while his members would be represented by another negotiating body.

He said: "Nationally all three trade unions have rejected the national pay offer. The TGU and Unison agreed to ballot members about taking industrial action and we had plans to do the same, but those plans have been suspended pending national talks." In a collective note sent to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph signed by "paramedics in the Blackburn district" said: "We have always been offered the same as nurses, but this year they got a 4.7 per cent rise while the ambulance service was offered only three per cent and a possible strike over the critical millennium period may result.

"We are trained professionals who work a 42 hour week. We get no enhancements for nights, weekends or bank holidays and are paid £19,098 a year. This is not on a parity with other services such as the police or fire. All we want is fair play."

Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust's Peter Cooney said he had heard the unions were planning to ballot members about industrial action over pay, but had no received no formal information about it.

He added: "I have heard that staff have decided to postpone plans and that there will be a meeting at national level to re-enter negotiations about the level of the pay offer."

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