Welsh Ambulance workers hold second day of strike action in dispute over pay and conditions

Nearly fifteen hundred ambulance workers in Wales who are members of the GMB union will go out on strike again today in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff will stage major pickets across the country including in Wrexham and Llandudno.

GMB members make up about a quarter of the Welsh Ambulance Service and will only respond to the most urgent, life-threatening calls during this period.

Workers across the ambulance services and some NHS Trusts have voted to strike over the Welsh Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award – “another massive real terms pay cut.” The GMB union said.

To end the dispute, GMB said it needs a “concrete offer to help resolve the NHS’s crushing recruitment and retention crisis.”

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said:

“Ambulance workers across England and Wales will go on strike for the second time today.

“GMB cancelled a planned strike over the Christmas period to say thank you to the public for their incredible support.

“It also allowed time for the Government to talk to us about pay, but Ministers have dithered and postured, wasting valuable time.

“To end this dispute, GMB needs a concrete offer to help resolve the NHS’s crushing recruitment and retention crisis.

“The public expects the Government to treat this dispute seriously – it’s time they got on with it.”

The Welsh Government has written to health unions offering to open discussions on a one off payment for NHS workers and find a way forward to improve working conditions.

GMB welcomed the invitation to negotiate with the Welsh Government – however without any detail of the amount, the union said it was unable to suspend Wednesday’s action.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan is due to meet with unions on Thursday to discuss the one-off payment.