East Midlands Ambulance Service Staff To Stage Four More Strikes

Staff at East Midlands Ambulance Service are to stage four more strikes.

GMB Union members will walk-out on the 6th and 20th of February and again on the same dates in March, as a dispute with the government over pay, jobs and conditions continues.

Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants and call handlers will join workers at seven other ambulance trusts in taking action, which follows 24-hour strikes earlier this month and in December.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: “GMB’s ambulance workers are angry. In their own words ‘they are done’.

“Our message to the Government is clear – talk pay now.

“Ministers have made things worse by demonising the ambulance workers who provided life and limb cover on strike days – playing political games with their scaremongering.

“In the face of government inaction, we are left with no choice but industrial action.”

Tina Richardson, Deputy Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at EMAS said: “We will continue to work with our trade union colleagues closely to support our staff and keep patients safe during these future confirmed periods of industrial action.

“We continue to fully respect the right of our staff to take lawful and peaceful action.

“However, we are urging national employer and national trade union colleagues to proactively engage and reach a negotiated settlement to the dispute as quickly as possible.”