CONFIDENTIAL
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TRUL
While he
unwilling to contemplate any no strike arrangement. was not immune to flexible ideas which might help secure a settlement, the Union's demands were unrealistic and, if granted, would have a very damaging effect on the pay settlements already achieved with other National Health Service (NHS) staff, as well as on wider pay policy objectives.
NFIDENT
In discussion, the following points were made -
a. While the armed forces were successfully providing a satisfactory accident and emergency service in London at present, this was yet to be fully tested. A single
fortunate incident could easily raise the temperature of The dispute and the public debate about it. The armed
forces could provide up to 500 ambulances throughout the country, but these could never substitute entirely for the usual arrangements. Although it would be possible to use normal Ambulance Service vehicles with military or police crews, would be difficult to gain access to the vehicles without conrontation while ambulance staff remained in ambulance stations.
b.
The Home Federation the statements in
police pay.
etary had met the Chairman of the Police
tary evious day, who had retracted his earlier
of a link between Ambulance Service and Nevertheless, the police were uneasy about
element in the dispute.
their continuing
police service. olice service.
C. Public opinion saturally sympathetic with the ambulance workers and they had been supported by spokesmen in the fire as well as
Unless some events occurred which turned ublic opinion against the ambulance workers, pressure on the Government to settle the dispute (including some from s own supporters) could well grow. It was difficult to see at present how the Government might win the battle for public opinion, and the conduct of the dispute therefore needed particularly careful handling. One possibility might be to offer a no strike deal to the Union: if this was rejected, as seemed likely, public opinion would be alienated.
d. On the other hand, the settlement (of the dispute on terms satisfactory to the Government was cal to the achievement of the Government's wider pay bo objectives. The trend of wage settlements was edging up one more and if the NUPE claim was conceded this would push up
claims OPE claim
in the following year's pay round. In total,
that in the summer the Union had actually recommended
was now very substantial indeed, although it was not exorthy
acceptance of management's 6.5 per cent pay offer to their members. Too generous a settlement could have major, repercussive effects, both within the NHS and outside
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