Health workers announce fresh strikes in pay row

Fresh strikes are to be held by health workers in the long-running dispute over pay, a union has announced.

Unite said its members at the South Central, South East Coast and West Midlands Ambulance Trusts along with workers at Christies NHS Foundation Trust, Christies Pathology Partnership, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust will all take part in industrial action on May 2.

This follows the union’s announcement earlier this week that its members at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in London and Yorkshire Ambulance Service will strike on May 1.

Unite is balloting its NHS members on the Government’s pay offer aimed at resolving the dispute, with the result due on April 28.

The union said it has received strong indications that many members are unhappy with the deal and is therefore preparing further industrial action.

General secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite has been upfront and honest that it did not believe that the pay offer was good enough for NHS workers. A lump sum payment and yet another real-terms pay cut doesn’t meet the challenges faced by NHS workers.

“Where our members have indicated that they want to swiftly return to the picket line, Unite is ensuring they are able to do so.”

Unite did not recommend its members to accept the Government’s pay offer of a non-consolidated cash lump sum payment for 2022/23 and a 5% increase for 2023/24.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing have rejected the offer and will strike over the early May bank holiday, while Unison members accepted it.