STRIKING Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other ambulance staff across the country who are on strike again in England and Wales today, came under attack in Parliament yesterday by Business Secretary Grant Shapps as he launched the new Tory anti-union law.
Workers across the ambulance services are striking after voting overwhelmingly to strike against the government’s imposed 4% pay award – another massive real terms pay cut.
Over 10,000 ambulance service members of the GMB and Unison unions are striking for 12 hours today, while more than 2,600 Unite ambulance members are striking on 23rd January.
Today’s 12-hour strike is starting at different times in different regions, including 11am-11pm in London.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: ‘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.’
Unison head of health Sara Gorton said: ‘Despite almost daily news coverage of the problems in the NHS and the harm this is causing to patients, the Prime Minister and his government are failing to get to grips with this crisis and the cost of living crisis.’
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘I would also like to correct Grant Shapps’s totally false claims that our ambulance workers have not agreed “life and limb” cover during disputes.
‘Our ambulance workers, like other NHS workers, never go on strike without first putting these agreements in place. If he understood how the ambulance service works he would know they are negotiated with local managers to ensure that all the specific situations in each NHS trust are taken into account. It is highly irresponsible and misleading to suggest otherwise.’
