Ambulance staff strike in dispute over pay

Ambulance staff were among the thousands of health workers who took part in a strike over pay on 13 October.

Workers from seven trade unions took part in the strike, which lasted from 07:00 to 11:00 BST in England.

Unions and managers had met in advance of the strike to ensure essential services were maintained, with military and police personnel helping ambulance services where needed.

Despite ambulance services developing backlogs, priorities were given to life-threatening cases.

The dispute came as ministers in England have awarded NHS staff a 1% increase in pay, but only for those without automatic progression-in-the-job rises.

The independent NHS Pay Review Body recommended a 1% rise across all pay scales, but ministers claimed this was an ‘unaffordable’ cost.

The unions involved in the strike included Unison, Unite, GMB, UCATT, the Royal College of Midwives, the British Association of Occupational Therapists, and Managers in Partnership.

Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, said the offer in England was a ‘disgrace’.

‘The fact that so many unions representing a range of NHS workers are taking action or preparing to join future actions should send a clear message to the government,’ she said.

Taken from Journal of Paramedic Practice, published 20 October 2014.