London, January 20 Britain’s Unite trade union announced this Friday that around 1,500 ambulance workers in the UK will strike for a further 10 days between February and March over a dispute they have with the government over their employment status.
In particular, the new work stoppages are being carried out in various areas of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The strikes were announced for February 6, 20 and 22 and March 6 and 20 in areas of England; on February 6th and 20th and March 6th and 20th in Wales; and on 26 January, 16, 17, 23 and 24 February in Northern Ireland after the current dispute over their wages and working conditions escalated.
These workers will also join the nurses’ union – which is 90% women – and more ambulance workers, represented by the GMB union group, on February 6 in what will be the largest strike ever to be undertaken by the NHS – the UK’s public health service – in relation to this dispute is supported.
The country’s ambulance staff has already planned a strike for next Monday as the duel with the executive branch stalls.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham today lamented that “rather than acting to protect the NHS and brokering an end to this dispute, the Government has shamefully chosen to demonize ambulance workers”.
Graham pointed out that the executive is “deliberately misleading citizens (…) as to who is responsible for the excess deaths” and reiterated that it is not the unions “that are failing to provide a minimum level of service”.
“It is the NHS Government’s disastrous management that has brought it to a breaking point and as the crises mount, the Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak) is washing his hands on it. What a shame. What an abdication of leadership,” he opined.
This union is demanding a pay increase from the government above the inflation rate of 10.7%, while the executive refuses to increase pay above the 4.75% recommended by the Pay Review Body, the body that monitors toilet salaries in the United States rated this country . EFE
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