STAFF at West Midlands Ambulance Service will be back on strike on Tuesday, May 2, after they rejected the government’s pay offer by 75 per cent.
Health workers have been demanding pay rise and say it is the only way to end the recruitment and retention crisis crippling the NHS.
Unite NHS members across the UK rejected the government’s pay offer in a consultative ballot which closed today (Friday) by 52 per cent.
The ballot result revealed very high figures for grades mostly in frontline services with patients. For example, seven out of ten of all ambulance paramedics who are Unite members rejected the deal.
They say the UK government offer does not even match the higher settlement approved by Unite members in Scotland. For instance, under the terms of the current government offer, a paramedic on a band six in salary in England will earn almost £3,500 less per year than a corresponding worker in Scotland.
Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “Unless and until the government puts forward a deal that meets the needs of our members, strike action will continue.
“The anger amongst NHS workers at the downward spiral of wages and working conditions that are wrecking havoc on patient care is palpable. Until this is resolved, Unite will be organising decisive strike action with more and more of our members.”
