The ambulance workers have called off their strikes after beginning talks with the government over pay.

(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)

Ambulances parked outside London Ambulance Service NHS Trust control room in Waterloo

Planned walkouts by ambulance workers across England have been called off – just hours before they were meant to begin.

Union members at trusts in the West Midlands, North West, South Central, South Coastal, and East Midlands were to go on strike on Monday and Wednesday.

However, following ‘further assurances from the government over the weekend’ Unite has paused the nationwide action this afternoon to enter pay talks.

Head of operations at the union, Gail Cartmail, said: ‘Following further assurances from the government over the weekend, Unite has in good faith agreed to pause the strike action.



(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)

Ambulance workers on the picket line outside the Bromsgrove Ambulance Hub, Worcestershire

‘If the meeting does not meet these assurances strike action will resume.’

The union stressed that a deal ‘will include new money, rather than placing further pressure on NHS budgets and an indication that discussions about “efficiencies” and “productivity savings” will not result in attacks on the conditions of NHS staff’.

This would have been the first time ever that Unite members in South Central and South Coastal had taken industrial action.

Members in Yorkshire, who were also planning to strike for the first time, were due to take industrial action on Wednesday.

Unite had also called off tomorrow's strikes in Wales due to pay talks continuing with the Welsh government.

Significant disruption was anticipated, as the walkouts would have involved tens of thousands of key workers.

Unite's move comes after Unison and GMB unions also cancelled industrial action.

Unison and GMB made the decision after the Department for Health and Social Care said money was available for possible pay increases covering this year and next.

Some 32,000 NHS workers were to be involved in planned Unison strikes – comprising 24,500 ambulance staff – while 13,000 ambulance workers were part of the GMB action.

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