UK Ambulance Workers Join Nurses On Strike

Thousands of ambulance workers struck again on Monday in England and Wales, increasing industrial action as unions urged the government to hold discussions on improving wages and conditions.

Ambulance workers went on strike on December 21 of last year, with further dates planned for February.

Nurses have also gone on strike, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the state-funded National Health Service, whose employees are grappling with rising living costs.

The strike on Monday comes ahead of massive simultaneous strikes planned for February 6 by unions representing both nurses and ambulance personnel.

Members of three unions in England and Wales are on strike on Monday: Unison, Unite, and GMB.

Unison, the UK’s largest trade union, announced that up to 15,000 ambulance workers in England would go on strike Unison, the UK’s largest trade union, announced a strike by up to 15,000 ambulance employees in England, as well as 5,000 members at hospitals in Liverpool, northwest England.

Following a three-day strike last week, Unite said more than 2,600 of its ambulance worker members were striking in England and Wales.

“We’re trying to get the government to negotiate,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham told BBC radio, accusing the government of inaction.

“It’s been five weeks since Unite ambulance workers were out and in that time there has been literally no meeting about the substantive issue of pay.

“There are absolutely no pay talks going ahead, it’s wrong to suggest that they are,” she added, even as Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said discussions were ongoing.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is “missing in action” and “needs to get more involved,” she added.

The GMB, whose members at one ambulance service in central England were striking Monday, addressed Barclay in a tweet saying: “We need to talk about pay. We’re ready when you are.”

The London Ambulance Service advised people to only call the 999 emergency number in “life-threatening” situations and warned the public they “may be asked to organise transport to hospital”.

(Al Jazeera)