The strike affecting East Midlands Ambulance Service on December 28 has been called off until the new year. It comes after the GMB trade union informed its members that it has cancelled the industrial action at the end of the month.
Strikes will now take place on January, 11, 2023. The national pay dispute saw GMB members at East Midlands Ambulance Service take strike action over a 24-hour period, from 6am on Wednesday, December 21.
Ben Holdaway, EMAS Director of Operations, said: “The GMB announcement today is welcome as it removes some of the anxiety all our staff would have had around the action planned for the 28. It will also provide us with time to review the action taken this week and continue local discussions with our trade union colleagues to prepare for the new strike date of Wednesday, January 11, 2023.
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“Wednesday was an immensely challenging day this week, however the regional plans drawn up at EMAS and the huge effort behind the scenes and across the wider NHS to minimise the impact of industrial action on patient safety was appreciated.
“Our approach was also supported by the public who responded to the plea to use services wisely and to make their own way to a treatment centre or hospital if safe to do so; of course, these are behaviours that should continue as the NHS continues to face significant pressures.”
During the strike period this week, emergency 999 call numbers reduced by 33%. A GMB spokesman said: “The NHS is on its knees and the public are suffering every day because the Government has failed to properly resource and plan for our health service. Nowhere is this clearer than in the appalling delays experienced in getting an ambulance and then getting into A&E.
“Solving such problems starts with getting enough people to work in the NHS. Unless the Government starts to talk pay now, the problems will get worse with every passing day.” Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary added: “We are overwhelmed by Wednesday’s amazing public support for our paramedics and ambulance staff.
“People across the country have been wonderful in backing us and we care so much about them too. That’s why we are suspending the proposed GMB industrial action on December 28. We know the public will appreciate being able to enjoy Christmas without any additional anxiety. They support us and we support them.”
The government has offered an average increase of 4.75% for ambulance workers with a minimum of £1,400 a year and says it is not prepared to go beyond this. However, trade unions point out that the 4.75% rate is less than half the current rate of inflation, therefore amounting to a substantial real-terms pay cut. They also argue that NHS workers have already experienced 12 years of real-terms cuts to their wages.
News of the strikes being pushed back follows two separate days of industrial action taken by nurses.
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