Union calls for action over ARI staff parking ban
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UNISON, the biggest health union in Scotland, has launched a petition to stop proposals to ban staff from parking at the ARI multistorey car park (the Lady Wood Parking Centre).
Current proposals by NHS Grampian claim that planning permission means they have no choice, and they are consulting some staff on how to allocate the remaining parking spaces elsewhere on site. But staff have said this is not workable, and the UNISON petition is calling for NHS Grampian to approach Aberdeen City Council to revise the planning permission.
Jamie Donaldson, Branch Secretary of UNISON Grampian Health Branch said: “Staff cannot believe the limited options being offered to get them to their workplaces.
"NHS Grampian should be looking more seriously at the impact of closing off the multistorey top floors to staff.
"There are already issues with short staffing and the impact of removing staff parking onsite will have a greater impact on that.
“The NHS staff consultation has not yet closed, but we have already seen an increase in parking assistants turning staff away from other parking areas around the Foresterhill site, and new parking signs have been placed stating “patient parking only”.
This is incredulous considering that no decisions or agreements have been made following on from the survey results.
“Public transport services have been decimated and there is nowhere in the surrounding area which offers safe, affordable parking solutions, but despite UNISON’s requests there has been no assessment of the impact on affected staff.”
The petition was launched on 31 August, and over 500 signed within the first 24 hours.
UNISON’s petition link: https://tinyurl.com/SaveARIparking
The petition is live and closes midday on Friday September 29.
