Workers At East Midlands Ambulance Service Vote To Strike

Workers at East Midlands Ambulance Service have voted to strike.

Paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff who are members of the GMB union will walk-out in a dispute over pay.

They will join workers at eight other ambulance service trusts across the country in taking industrial action, which is set to take place before Christmas.

The GMB says “No one in the health service takes strike action lightly – today shows just how desperate they are” and describes the government’s 4% pay award, as another “massive real-terms pay cut”.

Tina Richardson, Deputy Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at East Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “NHS pay levels are agreed at a national level and are therefore negotiated nationally for NHS employees.

“We recognise that this is a very challenging time for all of our people.

“We fully respect the right of NHS staff to take lawful industrial action, but we urge national trade union representatives to reach a negotiated settlement to the dispute as quickly as possible.

“During this period of the dispute, we will do all we can to minimise the impact on our patients and will continue to work very closely with our Trade Union colleagues and NHS Employers and carry on supporting the wellbeing of our staff.”