Ambulance worker strikes at East of England Ambulance Service called off by Unison to enter pay talks
A strike by ambulance workers in the East of England planned for Wednesday (March 8) has been suspended by Unison to allow the union to enter pay talks with the government.
The industrial action would have involved thousands of East of England Ambulance Service staff and other NHS workers.
The union says the decision was taken after the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed there would be additional investment in pay for both this and next year.
Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, said: “Unions said all along they could pause strikes if ministers would only commit to formal talks to boost pay for this year.
“The government has finally promised extra investment in pay for both this and next year.
“The sad thing is this could all have been handled so differently. Proper pay talks should have started months ago, long before the first strike was called. That would have avoided days of disruption for the NHS and its patients.
“Whether the talks signal the beginning of the end of the current dispute will emerge in the coming days. If a deal can be reached, strikes can end and everyone can work together again to ensure the NHS gets back on track.
“However, when we get in the room, we’ll quickly learn whether the talks can be meaningful. If not, UNISON will be forced to resume strike action. Nobody wants that.”
Both GMB and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have also suspended their action and will join the talks.
A DHSC spokesperson said: “We’re pleased that unions representing the majority of ambulance workers, nurses, physiotherapists, porters, cleaners and other non-medical staff have agreed to pause strikes and enter a process of intensive talks.
“We want to find a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role of NHS workers, the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the Prime Minister’s priority to halve inflation.”
Nationwide some 32,000 NHS workers would have been involved in planned Unison strikes – including 24,500 ambulance staff – while 13,000 ambulance workers were part of the GMB action.
