With government refusing to negotiate on this year’s pay, strikes could run until March.

Unite, the union representing 100,000 NHS workers, is set to announce further and broadening strike action among its ambulance members.

The union’s ambulance Organising Professional Committee (OPC) is meeting later today to set new dates which could see strike action throughout February and March as the government continues to refuse to negotiate on fair pay for this current financial year. The further dates will then be put to members to confirm.  Confirmation would see more NHS workers join the pay dispute across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Unite ambulance members are already set to strike in Wales tomorrow (19 January) and on Monday (23 January). 

Life and limb cover will be negotiated locally with NHS trusts to ensure an emergency response service that genuinely reflects patients’ needs.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “The government has gone from clapping NHS workers during the pandemic, to ignoring them, insulting them, and now threatening them with the sack if they fight for decent pay. Ministers are paying the price for this in the growing anger among NHS workers and, as a result, growing support for strike action.

“A responsible government would get around the table for real talks with the unions and get the current crisis sorted with a wage deal that matches workers’ expectations. Their continued failure to do so will only result in more and more strikes.”

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315

  • Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.