Biggest ambulance walkout in 30 years looms as thousands balloted over pay
24 October 2022, 11:53 | Updated: 24 October 2022, 11:56
Thousands of paramedics across are being balloted for strike action, as England's emergency services look set to begin the biggest ambulance strike in 30 years.
15,000 ambulance workers are set to walkout, with members of the GMB union from 11 separate trusts in England and Wales being balloted in the coming weeks.
Ambulance workers are angry over the government's 4% pay award, which they describe as a “massive real terms pay cut".
NHS workers in other unions, including nurses, are also contemplating strike action on the grounds of pay.
Rachel Harrison, GMB acting national secretary, said: "Ambulance workers don't do this lightly and this would be the biggest ambulance strike for 30 years.
"But more than 10 years of pay cuts, plus the cost-of-living crisis, means workers can't make ends meet.”
With the formal ballots set to take place across half of England’s ambulance services, the prospect of a winter of widespread walkouts looks increasingly likely.
Describing a near state of despair, with delays of up to 26 hours and 135,000 vacancies across the NHS, Ms Harrison says a third of GMB ambulance workers “think a delay they've been involved with has led to a death”.
Adding: "They are desperate. This is much more about patient safety at least as much about pay.”
"Delays up to 26 hours and 135,000 vacancies across the NHS mean a third of GMB ambulance workers think a delay they've been involved with has led to a death.”
