NHS staff begin 'work to rule' after yesterday's walk-out

Today is the second day of action for NHS staff in our region - including midwives, who walked out on strike for the first time ever yesterday in a row over pay.

Today, union members from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will follow yesterday's four-hour walk-out with four days of "work to rule".

Tony Pearson, from Unison Yorkshire and Humberside, explains that it is to demonstrate NHS workers often work through their breaks.

Trade unions want a 1% pay rise for all NHS staff, but the government says that will cost too much.

Thousands of staff working for the NHS across the region today joined a four hour strike in a protest over pay. There were pickets and rallys outside hospitals in Hull, Lincoln and Sheffield.

The action followed a government decision not to award a one per cent pay rise to all NHS workers which was recommended by an independent body.

The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says the government needs to ensure any future decision on pay wouldn't lead to nurses being laid off.

David Cameron defended the Government's health spending record today as he paid an official visit to Portsmouth during the NHS strikes.

He said: "We spent more on the NHS in this parliament, £12.7 billion more.

"When Labour was proposing to cut it, we protected the NHS budget and I have said we will do exactly the same thing again, protecting the NHS budget in the next parliament."

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the government is prepared to talk to the striking NHS unions about the current pay rise dispute.

He said: "We will talk to them if they're prepared to look to reform the system of increments, which is unclear and unfair.

"I recognise frontline staff do a magnificent job in the NHS."

Watch: NHS workers say strike action in last resort

NHS workers at Leeds General Infirmary who have taken part in today's four hour strike have said industrial action is a last resort.

Edward Barr from Unite, Matthew Barker who is a porter, Fiona Powell, an NHS worker and midwives Liz Furness and Anita Marshall, have been speaking to ITV Yorkshire about why they chose to strike.

Watch: Midwives join other NHS workers in strike action

A poll for the union Unite shows the public supports health workers in their campaign for an above-inflation pay rise.

A survey of more than 1,000 people showed that almost two thirds thought a continued below-inflation one per cent pay cap was unfair.

Three out of five of those questioned said they believed industrial action being taken by NHS workers was justified.

According to Frances O'Grady, of the Trades Union Congress, this is the first time there has been a national strike over pay in the NHS since 1982.

Dozens of NHS staff at Leeds General Infirmary, have joined thousands of others across the country, taking part in strike action to protest at the Government's decision not to give them a recommended 1% pay rise.

Midwives, nurses, paramedics, ambulance staff, and hospital porters are staging the industrial action, which started at 7am, for four hours.