Ambulance staff and nurses in Wales to strike on same day
In a significant escalation of the ongoing pay dispute, ambulance workers will join nurses in taking strike action on February 6th in Wales and England.
The GMB union has announced four new stoppages for ambulance staff, with one of the strike dates coinciding with the nurses’ strike date.
This marks the first time that both ambulance staff and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) have taken action on the same day.
The strikes are a result of ongoing disputes over pay and working conditions, with NHS staff seeking a pay increase closer to inflation, which is currently at a 40-year high of around 10%.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will strike for 12 hours on February 6 and 7 unless a new pay offer is put on the table by Welsh Government.
Almost 1,500 ambulance workers across Wales who are member of GMB Union will carry out four more strike dates in an ongoing pay dispute
Paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers, and other staff will take to the picket line on February 6th, February 20th, March 6th, and March 20th.
Today’s announcement from the GMB Union comes just hours before ambulance workers represented by Unite stage a 24-hour walkout on Thursday (January 19th).
Ambulance workers previously took industrial action in December over the same issues.
The joint strike action is expected to cause major disruptions to the NHS and put additional pressure on both the Welsh and UK governments to come to a fair agreement with the striking workers.
Health Minister Eluned Morgan met with health union representatives last week in a bid to curb further industrial action and to address workers’ concerns.
The Welsh Government’s offer of a one-off payment for NHS staff “falls far short of what our members need” unions said.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said the only way to solve the dispute is with a “proper pay offer.”
“GMB’s ambulance workers are angry. In their own words ‘they are done’,” said Rachel Harrison.
“Our message to the Government is clear – talk pay now.
“Ministers have made things worse by demonising the ambulance workers who provided life and limb cover on strike days – playing political games with their scaremongering.
“The only way to solve this dispute is a proper pay offer.
“But it seems the cold, dead hands of the Number 10 and 11 Downing Street are stopping this from happening.
“In the face of government inaction, we are left with no choice but industrial action.
“GMB ambulance workers are determined, they’re not going to back down.
“It’s up for this Government to get serious on pay. We are waiting.”
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