More than 10,000 ambulance workers across England and Wales will strike days before Christmas if the Government refuses to open pay talks - the first national ambulance strike in 30 years.
Three unions today announced the dates members will walk out, co-ordinating industrial action for Wednesday 21 December.
Members of the GMB union - who include paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff - will also walk out on Wednesday 28 December after a decade of below-inflation pay awards caused a staffing crisis.
Not all union members at all ambulance trusts backed strike action, with some unions at some services failing to meet strict turnout thresholds set by the Tory government.
While GMB members met the threshold for strikes at nine ambulance services, Unison members met the threshold at five services and Unite met the threshold at three.
At all but one of the regional services spanning England and Wales will see GMB strike action, apart from East of England.
It is part of a wave of strikes across health services, railways and the public sector after NHS staff were offered a pay rise worth as little as 4%, despite soaring inflation.
The strike will happen a day after Royal College of Nursing members stage their second walkout, also over pay.
And RMT members are hurtling towards four days of action next week at train firms - plus a Network Rail walkout from 6pm on Christmas Eve - after rejecting a 4%-a-year pay rise offer.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch admitted services would wind down more quickly than usual on Christmas Eve, and people will have to leave "early" for festive getaways.
Yet Rishi Sunak did not raise the strikes at this morning's Cabinet meeting, despite days left to avert chaos on the railways in the run-up to Christmas.
Labour's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said the 'militant' Tory Government was to blame, adding: "When I speak to the trade unions they're very clear they do not want to go on strike, they want to resolve this dispute."
On the railways, the government is still trying to force "minimum service levels", which would mean workers having to break strikes. But Downing Street refused to confirm a timescale for a divisive move.
The PM's spokesperson said "unions still have time to step back" and avert some of the "misery" the public face.
For the ambulance service strikes, union representatives will now meet with individual trusts to discuss requirements for life-and-limb cover.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Make no mistake, we are now in the fight of our lives for the very NHS itself.
“Patients’ lives are already at risk but this government is sitting on the sidelines, dodging its responsibility to sort out the crisis that it has created."
Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary, said: "After 12 years of Conservative cuts to the service and their pay packets, NHS staff have had enough.
"The last thing they want to do is take strike action but the Government has left them with no choice.
"Health Secretary Steve Barclay needs to listen and engage with us about pay. If he can't talk to us about this most basic workforce issue, what on Earth is he Health Secretary for?
"The Government could stop this strike in a heartbeat - but they need to wake up and start negotiating on pay."
Unison health lead Sara Gorton said: “The Government will only have itself to blame if there are strikes in the NHS before Christmas.
“Ambulance staff and their health colleagues don’t want to inconvenience anyone. But ministers are refusing to do the one thing that could prevent disruption – that’s start genuine talks about pay.
“Wages are too low to stop health workers quitting the NHS. As more and more hand in their notice, there are fewer staff left to care for patients.
“The public knows that’s the reason behind lengthy waits at A&E, growing ambulance delays, postponed operations and cancelled clinics.
“Threatened NHS strikes in Scotland were called off because ministers there understand higher wages and improved staffing levels go hand in hand.
“Unfortunately, the penny’s yet to drop for the Westminster government.”
Jason Kirkham, a Unite member and a paramedic in the West Midlands added: “This strike isn’t just about pay - it is to save the NHS. The NHS is crumbling we can’t recruit and retain staff as pay is so low.
“It has got so bad that we have had to open a food bank in my ambulance station.”
Unions are calling for an above inflation pay rise to prevent the exodus of senior staff to other sectors. It comes after a decade of real terms pay cuts.
RPI inflation is currently 12.6% but the Government has handed down a pay award that works out at around a 4% increase on average.
The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said patients should "continue to call 999 in an emergency" and that ambulances will "still respond".
They added: "Obviously is dissapointing that some staff will be taking industrial action ahead of what is already a challenging winter.
"Our economic circumstances mean unions' demands are not affordable.
"Each additional 1% pay rise for all staff on the agenda for change contract would cost around £700million a year to give you some context".
"Our priority over the coming weeks will be to make sure emergency services continue to operate for those who need it and to limit disruption particularly at a time when NHS services are under huge pressure due to Covid".
Pressed on whether the Prime Minister was worried patients could die as a result of the strikes, the spokesperson added: "I don't think it would be helpful to speculate on things like that.
"I think what our focus is now is on mitigating any potential detremintal impact these strikes could have."
Health Secretary Steve Barclay added: “I’m hugely grateful for the hard work and dedication of NHS staff and deeply regret some will be taking industrial action – which is in nobody’s best interests as we approach a challenging winter.
“Our economic circumstances mean unions’ demands are not affordable - each additional 1% pay rise for all staff on the Agenda for Change contract would cost around £700 million a year.
“We’ve prioritised the NHS with record funding and accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full to give over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year, with those on the lowest salaries receiving an increase of up to 9.3%.
“This is on top of 3% last year when public sector pay was frozen and wider government support with the cost of living.”
“Our priority is keeping patients safe during any strikes and the NHS has tried and tested plans to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate.
“My door remains open to discuss with the unions ways we can make the NHS a better place to work.”
GMB union members
- South West Ambulance Service: 21st December, 06:00 – 23:59. 28th December, 00:01 – 23:59
- South East Coast Ambulance Service: 21st December, 06:00 – 23:59. 28th December, 00:01 – 23:59
- North West Ambulance Service: 21st December, 00:01 – 23:59. 28th December, 00:01 – 23:59
- South Central Ambulance Service: 21st December, 06:00 – 18:00. 28th December, 00:01 – 23:59
- North East Ambulance Service: 21st December, 00:01 – 23:59. 28th December, 00:01 – 23:59
- East Midlands Ambulance Service: 21st December, 06:00 – 05:59. 28th December, 06:00 – 05:59
- West Midlands Ambulance Service: 21st December, 00:01 – 23:59. 28th December, 00:01 – 23:59
- Welsh Ambulance Service: 21st December, 00:01 – 23:59. 28th December, 00:01 – 23:59
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service: 21st December 00:01 – 23:59. 28th December, 00:01 – 23:59
UNISON union members
Ambulance crews working for five services in England – London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West – are to go on strike over pay and staffing on Wednesday 21 December, says UNISON.
The strike involving paramedics, emergency care assistants, ambulance technicians and other 999 crew members will run from midday to midnight.
The ambulance workers are to be joined by nurses, porters, healthcare assistants, cleaners and other NHS workers at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and Liverpool University Hospital taking action on December 21.
UNISON is also about to begin reballoting around 13,000 NHS staff working for ten trusts and ambulance services where turnout in the recent strike vote fell just short of the threshold required by law.
Unite union members
More than 1,600 workers at the West Midlands, North West and North East ambulance service trusts will strike on Wednesday 21 December 2022, said Unite.
Unite continues to ballot 10,000 more NHS workers at 38 different employers across England and Wales, with the results expected later this month.
