Ambulance workers in the South vote on 'biggest strike in 30 years'

The GMB says its members are angry over the government's imposed 4% pay award Credit: PA

Ambulance workers in the South are being balloted on strike action.

The GMB union says they're angry over the Government's 4% pay award.

In total, more than 15,000 ambulance workers across 11 trusts, including South Central and South East Coast, are being asked if they want to strike.

Rachel Harrison, GMB acting national secretary, said: “Ambulance workers don’t do this lightly and this would be the biggest ambulance strike for 30 years."

“But more than 10 years of pay cuts, plus the cost-of-living crisis, means workers can’t make ends meet.

“They are desperate.

“This is much more about patient safety at least as much about pay.

“Delays up to 26 hours and 135,000 vacancies across the NHS mean a third of GMB ambulance workers think a delay they’ve been involved with has led to a death.

Ambulances waiting outside Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading Credit: ITV Meridian

“Ambulance workers have been telling the Government for years things are unsafe.

“No one is listening. What else can they do?”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We value the hard work of NHS staff and are working hard to support them – including by giving over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year.

“Industrial action is a matter for unions, and we urge them to carefully consider the potential impacts on patients.”

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