Cuts and shortages mean GMB members feel they are unable to deliver safe standards of patient care
GMB Union has announced industrial action ballot dates for more than 15,000 ambulance workers across 11 trusts in England and Wales for strike action.
Ambulance workers from London, East of England, East and West Midlands, North East, Yorkshire, North West, South Central, South East Coast, South West and Wales Ambulance trusts will take part in the strike vote.
Thousands more NHS workers will also be balloted across other NHS trusts, with more votes set to follow.
The ballot opens on 24 October and closes on 29 November, and any potential strike action could take place before Christmas.
The strike ballots follow consultative votes across all the trusts in which workers voted strongly in favour of strike action.
Workers are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award, which leaves them facing yet another massive real terms pay cut.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Officer, said:
“Ambulance workers have just had enough.
“They’ve not been on strike in decades, but they are at the end of what they can take.
“Pay has been systematically slashed for more than ten years and we now face the worst cost of living crush in a generation.
“Meanwhile vacancies are at record highs and we have the worst A&E delays ever – and it’s not even the winter flu season yet.
“But this is about more than pay and conditions. Cuts and shortages mean GMB members feel they are unable to deliver safe standards of patient care.
“Things can’t go on like this – something has to give.”
