Hopefully everyone by now knows that St John ambulance staff are walking off the job in strike on November 25.

These are the people that will turn up and help you in your darkest hour – who will clean your vomit out of the back of their truck, who will administer CPR until their arms hurt and still keep going.

The people who will look after your sick dad, child, grandma, husband. The people who work horrible hours and long, long shifts dealing with terrible things to try and help us.

All they want is to be treated with respect by the organisation that employs them.

I think people forget that St John ambulance staff aren't as fortunate as most of us – if we don't like the way our employer is treating us or if we want to earn more money/take more time off, we can resign and find a new employer. St John is the only ambulance employer in the country – bar Wellington Free.

I personally know a lot of ‘ambos' and some of the stories they tell are terrible; I can't imagine dealing with the things they have to see and deal with.

Good luck to all the ‘ambos' that walk off the job this coming Wednesday. I hope your employer finally listens to you and realises your true value.

F McGrath, Oropi