Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Today, more than 500 paramedics and ambulance staff have gone on strike over the row with union recognition. This is the real story. I listened to one paramedic this morning on Cork's 96FM. She clearly stated that the workers did not want to go on strike. More important, she said that while she and many others love their jobs and what they do, they had no choice. She continued by saying it should be the right of all workers to nominate the trade union of their choice to represent them in negotiations for wages and, more important, working conditions.

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