Date set for ambulance workers in Wiltshire and Hampshire to strike
Industrial action follows row over pay and underfunding
Last updated 6th Dec 2022
Thousands of ambulance workers and other NHS staff will strike on December 21 in a row over pay, unions have announced.
The GMB, Unison and Unite are co-ordinating industrial action across England and Wales after accusing the Government of ignoring pleas for a decent wage rise.
The strike will happen a day after members of the Royal College of Nursing stage their second walkout, also over pay.
The GMB said more than 10,000 ambulance workers across nine trusts in England and Wales will strike.
Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff will also walk out on December 28.
Over 1,000 GMB staff at South West Ambulance service which covers Wiltshire will strike while 500 will walk out at South Central Ambulance Service which covers Hampshire.
GMB representatives will now meet with individual trusts to discuss requirements for life-and-limb cover.
Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary, said:
"After 12 years of Conservative cuts to the service and their pay packets, NHS staff have had enough.
"The last thing they want to do is take strike action but the Government has left them with no choice.
"Health Secretary Steve Barclay needs to listen and engage with us about pay. If he can't talk to us about this most basic workforce issue, what on Earth is he Health Secretary for?
"The Government could stop this strike in a heartbeat - but they need to wake up and start negotiating on pay."
Unite said more than 1,600 of its members at the West Midlands, North West and North East ambulance service trusts will join the walkout.
It said the action is a "stark warning" to the Government that it must stem the "crisis" engulfing the NHS.
Ambulance crews in Unison working for five services in England - London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West - will strike.
Unison said its strike, involving paramedics, emergency care assistants, ambulance technicians and other 999 crew members, will run from noon to midnight.
Interim chief executive of NHS Providers Saffron Cordery said:
"Trust leaders continue to plan and prepare for strike action, but today's announcement of co-ordinated action by the GMB, Unison and Unite underlines the sheer urgency of the need for Government and union leaders to get around the table to find a solution to avert these strikes.
"The potential to escalate action and for prolonged, joint strikes by health unions in January if talks don't take place is very worrying.
"As with the upcoming industrial action by the Royal College of Nursing, trusts affected will do everything they can to minimise disruption for patients on Friday 21 and Friday December 28.
"Their priority, as always, remains the safe delivery of care and services for patients during any industrial action and to support the wellbeing of their staff.
"But the challenges strike action presents for the health service at a time when it is under serious strain across every part of the system is undeniable. This will inevitably have an impact on some patients.
"Leaders across the NHS of course understand how strongly ambulance staff, including 999 call handlers, ambulance technicians, paramedics and their colleagues working for ambulance services feel and why they've got to this point: below-inflation pay awards amid the rising cost of living, severe staff shortages, rising operational pressures and ever-increasing workloads have all taken their toll.
"There must be no delay in getting down to serious, meaningful negotiations to end this dispute before it escalates still further."