Unison members will stage two new ambulance strikes in January

Members of the union in five ambulance services in England will strike on January 11 and 23, 2023.

London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West will be affected by the strike which follows action by members of three ambulance unions on Wednesday.

The fresh strikes are a direct result of the government’s “repeated refusal” to negotiate improvements to NHS pay this year, Unison said.

The strikes in January will each last for 24 hours from midnight to midnight and they’ll involve all ambulance employees, not just the 999 response crews, as was the case on Wednesday.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay (Image: Victoria Jones/PA)

Union leaders were infuriated by Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Wednesday when he said they had taken a “conscious decision” to harm people.

The union said many of the services’ employees are likely to be exempted from the action under emergency cover plans to be drawn up locally by each ambulance employer, working with Unison.

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “It’s only through talks that this dispute will end. No health workers want to go out on strike again in the new year.

“But accusing NHS staff of making a conscious decision to inflict harm on the public by taking action this week was not the health secretary’s finest hour.

“Neither was it a particularly smart move for Steve Barclay to falsely accuse health unions of failing to deliver a national emergency cover plan. The secretary of state knew full well life and limb cover arrangements were being agreed locally by ambulance managers and unions.

“It’s time Steve Barclay stopped with the insults and fibs and called the unions in for proper talks about improving NHS pay.

“Speeding up next year’s pay review body process won’t solve the current dispute, which is about the pitiful amount the government gave health workers this year.

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea (Image: Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

“The Government must stop using the pay review body as cover for its own inaction. This year’s pay rise simply wasn’t enough to halt the exodus of staff from the NHS.

“The Government should right that wrong with an increase better matching inflation. Only then will vacancy rates reduce, allowing the NHS to get back on track and start delivering safe patient care once more.”

When the festive break is over, the union will start to ask around 13,000 staff in 10 English NHS trusts if they are prepared to take strike action in the spring.

This is because the turnout in the previous strike ballot, the results of which were announced last month, fell just below the threshold required by law.

This includes the five remaining ambulance services in England - the West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South East Coast and South Central. 

A re-ballot of staff working for the Welsh Ambulance Service will also happen.

Health workers belonging to Unison and employed at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, London’s Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the North West-based Bridgewater Community Trust are being asked to vote again.

A re-ballot of Unison members working for the NHS Blood and Transplant service will also occur.