Now ambulance workers vote to strike as NHS nurses walk out before Christmas

AMBULANCE workers across England are set to strike before Christmas in a row over pay and staffing.

More than 10,000 staff members voted for the strike across nine trusts in England and Wales.

This includes 999 call handlers, ambulance technicians, paramedics and their colleagues.

The decision was made after the government granted a four per cent pay award, which GMB described as a 'massive real-terms pay cut'.

The union will meet with reps in the coming days to discuss potential days in which members will strike in the run up to the festive period.

It comes just weeks after it was revealed nurses will also strike in an historic move for the profession.

And yesterday 80,000 ambulance staff at Unison voted in favour of taking industrial action.

Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary said ambulance workers – like other NHS workers – are 'on their knees'.

"Demoralised and downtrodden, they’ve faced 12 years of Conservative cuts to the service and their pay packets, fought on the frontline of a global pandemic and now face the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

“No one in the NHS takes strike action lightly – today shows just how desperate they are.

“This is as much about unsafe staffing levels and patient safety as it is about pay. A third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they’ve been involved with have led to the death of a patient.

“Something has to change or the service as we know it will collapse.

“GMB calls on the Government to avoid a winter of NHS strikes by negotiating a pay award that these workers deserve," she added.

Yesterday it was revealed that up to 100,000 nurses will strike for two days next month.

Unison also announced that thousands of 999 call handlers ambulance technicians, paramedics and their colleagues working for ambulance services in the North East, North West, London, Yorkshire and the South West are to be called out on strike over pay and staffing levels after voting in favour of industrial action.

Some 45 hospital trusts will be hit, plus 20 community, ambulance and admin groups, on December 15 and 20, the Royal College of Nursing has revealed.

It is half the number that voted to strike over pay.

Action will ramp up in January if no deal is agreed, said the RCN, which wants a 19 per cent rise.

General Secretary Pat Cullen said strikes could be averted with talks.

She said: “Nursing is standing up for the profession and their patients. We’ve had enough of being taken for granted and being unable to provide care patients deserve.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said he was 'grateful' for the hard work and dedication of the NHS.

'NOT AFFORDABLE'

He added that he 'regretted' they would be taking industrial action, which he said is in 'nobody's best interests'.

"Our economic circumstances mean unions’ demands are not affordable – each additional 1 per cent pay rise for all staff on the Agenda for Change contract would cost around £700 million a year.

“We’ve prioritised the NHS with record funding and accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full to give over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year, with those on the lowest salaries receiving an increase of up to 9.3 per cent.

“This is on top of 3 per cent last year when public sector pay was frozen and wider government support with the cost of living.

“Our priority is keeping patients safe during any strikes and the NHS has tried and tested plans to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate.

“My door remains open to discuss with the unions ways we can make the NHS a better place to work.”