PRIVATE ambulance firm Parkwood has been accused of twice

breaking deadlines to settle a 14-month dispute with its staff,

who take 500 North Staffordshire people to hospital

appointments every day.

Leaders of the 90-strong workforce are to report the alleged

breaches to health secretary Alan Johnson and NHS lawyers have

written to the company to find out what its intentions are.

The latest row in Parkwood's troubled three-year contract

with four local hospital and care trusts came before a mass

meeting of the drivers in the Sneyd Arms in Tunstall at 7.30pm

tonight, when calls are expected to be made for renewed

industrial action.

Arbitration agency ACAS has already been brought into the

dispute following intervention by ministers, but unions say

there is still no sign of an end to the staff's two-tier pay

and condition package which prompted a fortnight work-to-rule

before Christmas.

Officials from health union Unison said the company broke

two deadlines of August 8 and 15 imposed by the NHS

organisations to comply with the contract and equalise pay

rates.

But today Parkwood chief executive Tony Hewitt said: "I met

with ACAS three weeks ago. There are no deadlines and Parkwood

is actively dealing with ACAS on this matter."

Parkwood won the work from Staffordshire ambulance service

and although it is due to end next year, the company reportedly

asked the trusts – the University Hospital, Combined Healthcare

and Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire primary care trusts

– for £300,000 extra so it could pay all its workers the

same.

Unison regional manager Ray Salmon, pictured below,

said: "It is incredible how far someone can get by constantly

saying no to everything – even ministers. And how the NHS

trusts are prepared to put up with it.

"The University Hospital has now informed us that its

lawyers are writing to Parkwood to ask its intentions. But

nothing seems to have moved forward for 14 months so we will

try and involve the minister again.

"The worrying thing is if the trusts cannot get a grip on a

private company with a £6 million contract, how will it cope

with the much bigger contracts on the new hospital

development?

"We shall update our members tonight. I'm sure there will be

calls for industrial action although we'd need another ballot

for that."

The row centres on Parkwood recruiting new drivers on up to

£3,000 a year less than others for doing identical jobs and

once it is settled, the union plans to submit claims for

back-pay.