Thousands of paramedics and staff - including many across Greater Manchester - have walked out today in a simmering row over pay and conditions.
Now, a paramedic has penned a heartfelt personal message to the public and government, explaining why they are joining the picket line. They say the service is 'past breaking point' and people are 'dying unnecessarily every day' because of it.
Writing for the Manchester Evening News as strike action begins, the North West Ambulance Service paramedic has spoken of the toll 'brutal attacks on the NHS' are having on their colleagues. They call out Downing Street's 'audacity' for clapping for carers during the Covid pandemic but 'refusing to sit at the table and negotiate' ahead of the industrial action.
The paramedic, who the M.E.N. isn't identifying, details why they are striking in the message - and poignantly calls for the public's support.
Their words, in full, are below:
"I'm not striking because I think I deserve more than you. I'm not striking because I want to stick it to the government or jump on a bandwagon.
"I'm striking because as a service we are past breaking point. Breaking point was years ago. Every day I come to work and I see the consequences of this government's brutal attacks on the NHS. I see my colleagues, broken and battered, crying, depressed and even taking their own lives because they cannot do what they love to do which is help you when you need it the most.
"I'm striking because the government say they can’t afford decent pay rises for the public sector yet they can easily find millions to give to their cronies to provide sub standard PPE to me on the front line and put my life at risk.
"They say giving us a decent pay rise will drive up inflation. But inflation has nothing to do with the wages of the public sector and everything to do with the profits and greed of the big businesses who are backed by and who fund this government.
Claps don’t pay the bills
"I'm striking because this government has the audacity to praise the NHS and clap us on the doorstep of number 10 but when it comes to negotiating a fair wage increase they refuse to even sit at the table and negotiate. To borrow a slogan: Claps don’t pay the bills.
"I am already seeing the government using the media to try to divide us from the public we serve, to say we are greedy and compare our wages to yours, that is always their strategy. They count on us fighting amongst ourselves whilst they line their pockets.
"I understand the argument that striking is dangerous and will put lives at risk, sadly people may even die. But the reality is, due to the understaffed, underpaid and overworked conditions and the inability to retain staff due to stagnated wages over the last 12 years, lives are ALREADY at risk, people are ALREADY dying unnecessarily. Every day.
"If you increase wages you will attract and retain more staff, if we have more staff we can attend and take care of more people. It’s simple. When you are considering the strike please take a moment and ask yourself a question:
"When you are at your most vulnerable, when you or your family member stops breathing, or is hit by a car, or your child is gravely unwell. Do you want the person who drives at breakneck speed risking his or her life to get to you, who inserts tubes in to your lungs to help you breathe, who administers drugs and shocks to restart your heart, who tirelessly pumps your heart to keep the oxygen supply to your brain, who explains to your family the steps we are taking to try and save your life…. Do you want that person distracted because they can't pay their bills? Because they need to visit a food bank on their way home from work to feed their children? Because they are worried they might lose their home because they can’t afford their mortgage or rent?
We want to do our jobs without the fear of crippling debt
"We are professional clinicians with a wide ranging set of skills including being able to literally give you back your life. We don’t want thanks, we never wanted a round of applause. All we want is decent pay and to be able to live our lives and do our jobs without the fear of crippling debt.
"We deserve to be respected and heard by this government. In this country's hour of need during the pandemic, when lots of other healthcare services shut down, when everyone was afraid and no-one really knew what to do, the staff of the ambulance service were literally on the front line, in your homes, risking our own health and stepping forward to support our communities. We sacrificed time with family, our own health and some even died.
"We did this because we love our job. We did this because we knew no-one else could. We did this because if we didn’t, many many more would have died.
"We didn't ask for anything in return. Now we ask for your support."
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