The GMB, the largest union in ambulance services, is suspending its participation in the process used by the Government to set pay in the NHS.
Thousands of its ambulance members are set to strike next week in a bitter dispute over pay. Talks to avert the walkouts have stalled as the Government insists it is sticking to the recommendations of the independent pay review body and refuses to move on pay.
In an internal document, the GMB says the Government has “substantial power” over the pay review body as it disputes the organisation’s independence. It says the Treasury sets the body’s annual remit, including the financial parameters within which it is expected to work; appoints and pays its members; and provides its secretariat.
