Union announces new ambulance strikes for February and March

EMAS workers who are members of the GMB Union were already striking on February 6 and 20 and March 6 and 20.

Now, their Unite colleagues will join them in industrial action on the same dates.

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.

“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.”

Tina Richardson, EMAS deputy director of human resources and organisational development, said: “We will continue to work with our trade union colleagues closely to support our staff and keep patients safe during these future confirmed periods of industrial action.

"We continue to fully respect the right of our staff to take lawful and peaceful action. However, we are urging national employer and national trade union colleagues to proactively engage and reach a negotiated settlement to the dispute as quickly as possible.

The announcement of the ambulance strikes adds the growing list of workers taking industrial action in the coming months.

The Royal College of Nursing has announced its members will also be on strike on February 6.

Nurses who are not members of the RCN are not currently set to be on strike that day.

Members of the train drivers’ union ASLEF have announced two new strikes on February 1 and 3 and East Midlands Railway has confirmed no services will run on those two days, either on the mainline between Nottingham and London or on local routes such as the Robin Hood Hood line between Nottingham and Worksop and serving Bulwell, Hucknall, Sutton, Kirkby, Mansfield and Shirebrook.

Local bus services will not be affected on strike days and tram services between Hucknall, Bulwell and Nottingham will also run as normal.