Unite, the UK’s leading union, has announced fresh strikes in the NHS as it further escalates its industrial action over pay and safe staffing levels.

 

New strikes

 

Unite’s members at the West Midlands Ambulance Service will take strike action on Monday 12 June. This will be followed by union members at the Christie hospital in Manchester and the City Hospital in Birmingham, who will take strike action on Wednesday 14 June to coincide with the British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctor’s strike. Unite’s members at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service will also take strike action on Monday 26 June (see notes to editors for exact timings of the various strikes).

 

Escalate industrial action

 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will continue to escalate its industrial action until the government returns to the negotiating table and makes NHS workers a fair pay offer.

 

“Our members are clear that a decade of real terms pay cuts and under investment is undermining the future of the NHS. The pay offer put forward by the government does nothing to address the recruitment and retention crisis of staff which is promoting the current staff exodus. Ministers must know that.”

 

Pay offer rejected

 

Unite is continuing to maintain industrial action in the NHS after members voted in April to reject the government’s pay offer.

 

The union is calling on the government to re-open negotiations as the present deal is a further real terms pay cut for NHS workers. The recruitment and retention crisis facing the NHS continues to worsen due to a combination of soaring living costs and low wages.

 

Unite is also escalating its industrial action and is balloting members in a greater number of trusts to join the dispute. These ballots will be highlighting both pay and the recruitment and retention crisis which is undermining the NHS and affecting patient safety.

 

Stand up and be counted

 

Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “Unite’s members are prepared to stand up and be counted in their fight for fair pay and safe staffing levels. As the dispute escalates there will be further industrial action in the coming weeks and months.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes to editors:

 

West Midlands Ambulance Trust will strike from 06:00 until 12:00 and from 18:00 until 23:59 on 12 June.

 

City Hospital in Birmingham is from 04:00 until 18:00 on 14 June.

 

Christie hospital in Manchester is from 07:01 hrs on 14 June until 06:59 hrs on 15 June.

 

Yorkshire Ambulance Trust is from 15:00 until 22:00 on 26 June.

 

For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067.

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Twitter: @unitetheunion Facebook: unitetheunion1 Instagram: unitetheunion 

 

Web: unitetheunion.org

 

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.