Ambulance workers in Unison are to stage two fresh strikes in the dispute over pay and staffing, it has been announced.
Members of the union in five ambulance services in England will walk out on January 11th and 23rd.
The strike will affect London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West and follows action by members of three ambulance unions last month, which included ambulance staff in Burnham-On-Sea (as pictured).
Unison said the new strikes were a direct result of the government’s “repeated refusal” to negotiate improvements to NHS pay this year.
The new strikes will each be for 24 hours from midnight to midnight and involve all ambulance employees, not just the 999 response crews, as was the case on Wednesday.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay infuriated union leaders recently by saying they had taken a “conscious decision” to harm people.
Many of the services’ employees are likely to be exempted from the action, under emergency cover plans to be drawn up locally by each ambulance employer, working with Unison, said the union.
Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea said the walkouts will only end “through talks,” adding “no health workers want to go out on strike again in the new year”.
She added: “But accusing NHS staff of making a conscious decision to inflict harm on the public by taking action this week was not the health secretary’s finest hour.
“Neither was it a particularly smart move for Steve Barclay to falsely accuse health unions of failing to deliver a national emergency cover plan. The secretary of state knew full well life and limb cover arrangements were being agreed locally by ambulance managers and unions.
“It’s time Steve Barclay stopped with the insults and fibs and called the unions in for proper talks about improving NHS pay.
“Speeding up next year’s pay review body process won’t solve the current dispute, which is about the pitiful amount the government gave health workers this year.
“The government must stop using the pay review body as cover for its own inaction. This year’s pay rise simply wasn’t enough to halt the exodus of staff from the NHS.”
NHS bosses in Somerset have also warned recently that services are under “extreme pressure” not just due to strikes but due to a combination of cold weather, concerns about Strep A infections, and an increase in Flu.
