Hundreds of ambulance workers across Wales, who are members of the GMB Union, have announced that they plan to strike for four new dates. The union confirmed on Wednesday that around 1,500 of its members in Wales will take industrial action over pay and working conditions.
Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff will walk out on Monday, February 6, Monday, February 20, Monday, March 6, and Monday, March 20. It comes after GMB Union members took their first strike action back in December.
Almost 1,500 ambulance workers in Wales took part in another industrial action on Wednesday, January 11. On the Thursday, negotiations took place between nine health and nursing unions, including GMB union, with the Health Minister Eluned Morgan to try to avoid further NHS strikes in Wales. But unions said that a one-off payment would not be "sufficient to address the real problems with pay".
Read more: The 'impossible' situation Wales' ambulance workers are facing as winter pressures rise
Further strikes by ambulance workers part of a different union, Unite, is also planned for later in January with around another 1,000 members affected. These will be two 24-hour strikes and are planned for January 19 and 23. You can read more about these here.
During the second industrial action, GMB Union members were striking in protest against the Welsh Government's pay offer of a £1,400 pay increase to most NHS staff - equivalent to a 7.5% increase for lower-paid staff in Bands 1 to 4 and a 4% increase in Bands 6-7.
Some employees said that this was not enough when compared to the current inflation rate of around 10.6% but no further offers have been put on the table. The Welsh Government claims it cannot address the pay issue without extra help from the UK Government.
Following the announcement about the planned strike days for February and March, Rachel Harrison, the 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. The only way to solve this dispute is a proper pay offer.
“But it seems the cold, dead hands of the Number 10 and 11 Downing Street are stopping this from happening. In the face of government inaction, we are left with no choice but industrial action.
“GMB ambulance workers are determined, they’re not going to back down. It’s up for this Government to get serious on pay. We are waiting."
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