‘If Steve Barclay won’t engage with health workers on pay what is he Health Secretary for’, asks GMB Union?

GMB has announced the dates more than 3,500 ambulance workers will walk out across three south coast trusts.

Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff will strike on 21st and 28th December,

South Central Ambulance Service workers will walk out from 06:00am - 18:00pm on 12st December and 00:01pm - 23.59pm on 28th December.

South East Coast Ambulance Central Service workers will walk out from 06:00am - 23.59 pm on 21st December and 00:01pm - 23.59pm on 28th December.

South West Ambulance Central Service workers will walk out from 06:00am - 23.59pm on 21st December and 00:01pm - 23.59pm on 28th December.

Workers across the ambulance services and some NHS Trusts have voted to strike over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award - another massive real terms pay cut.

GMB representatives will now meet with all three trusts to discuss requirements for life and limb cover.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: “Ambulance workers – like other NHS workers – are on their knees.

“Demoralised and downtrodden, they’ve faced twelve years Conservative cuts to the service and their pay packets, fought on the frontline of a global pandemic and now face the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

“No one in the NHS takes strike action lightly – today shows just how desperate they are.

“This is as much about unsafe staffing levels and patient safety as it is about pay. A third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they’ve been involved with have led to the death of a patient.

“Something has to change or the service as we know it will collapse.

“GMB calls on the Government to avoid a Winter of NHS strikes by negotiating a pay award that these workers deserve.”