An "unwritten code" between unions not to accept members from other unions has been scrapped amid the St John industrial dispute, which has caused a rift between unions.
The Amalgamated Workers Union confirmed it had lost 12 of its members to First Union since November, when joint bargaining between unions broke down.
The unions are at odds over their respective approach to the bargaining.
The Amalgamated Workers Union, which has about 530 ambulance members, all in the South Island, ratified a collective agreement last month, along with three other ambulance unions.
First Union, which has 1000 ambulance members, remains in dispute with St John, and its members are taking industrial action in the form of a uniform ban and wearing a badge.
Amalgamated Workers Union secretary Calvin Fisher, of Dunedin, said he disagreed with First Union’s tactics, as a uniform ban was ineffective and had had the anticipated effect of reducing members’ pay. First Union had been "antagonistic" towards his union, Mr Fisher said.
"[First Union has] created the rift by their attitude towards what we’ve done. They’re quite antagonistic towards us — we’ve not done or said anything publicly.’’ Mr Fisher suggested First Union had exaggerated claims of overwork and pressure.
"They’re being selective in the reality of the situation. But that’s not to take away that certain areas, including the South Island, are under enormous pressure through staffing levels and through the demand."
When the unions were jointly bargaining, his union had recommended stronger industrial action, but First Union had not been keen, Mr Fisher said.
"We recommended rolling stoppages on night shifts for a month at a time. First Union told us they didn’t have the stomach for it."
Mr Fisher rejected a suggestion that First Union had been more effective than his union in raising public awareness of staffing levels.
"We have attacked St John on single crewing for the last decade."
First Union was also losing members over its strategy in the wage talks, Mr Fisher said.
"People don’t know why they’re wearing T-shirts and haven’t been given a wage offer, but I guess you don’t want to know about that."
First Union spokesman Jared Abbott said an "unwritten code" between unions normally meant they did not take one another’s members. Mr Abbott criticised Amalgamated Workers Union’s conduct during the bargaining, including it’s having made a public statement without telling First Union beforehand.
"We said: ‘whatever, if people want to join that’s fine’," Mr Abbott said.
Mr Abbott said his members had not been willing to withdraw labour as part of industrial action.
"They are paramedics — they aren’t just going to let people die."
Mr Abbott said he did not want the story to be framed as a "war between unions". In response, Mr Fisher said: "That’s a bit rich coming from him".
