1,500 Yorkshire ambulance workers to strike either side of Christmas

The GMB union says paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff will take part in 24-hour strikes on December 21 and December 28.

They are among more than 10,000 ambulance workers across the country who will take part in strike action over the Government’s imposed four per cent pay award – which the GMB says represents ‘another massive real terms pay cut’.

The GMB says its representatives will meet with Yorkshire Ambulance Service managers to discuss requirements for ‘life and limb cover’ to reduce the impact on the most critically ill patients.

GMB national secretary Rachael Harrison said: “Ambulance workers – like other NHS workers – are on their knees.

“Demoralised and downtrodden, they’ve faced twelve years of Conservative cuts to the service and their pay packets, fought on the frontline of a global pandemic and now face the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

“No one in the NHS takes strike action lightly – today shows just how desperate they are.

“This is as much about unsafe staffing levels and patient safety as it is about pay. A third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they’ve been involved with have led to the death of a patient.

“Something has to change or the service as we know it will collapse.

“GMB calls on the Government to avoid a Winter of NHS strikes by negotiating a pay award that these workers deserve.”

Nick Smith, executive director of operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: "Our priority is to ensure we keep patients safe during any industrial action and we are working with colleagues across the trust, our healthcare partners and trade union representatives to put plans in place to keep critical services operational.

“We are currently assessing the possible impact on all of our services and acknowledge the concern and worry that forthcoming industrial action will have on patients, members of the public and our hard-working staff.”