GMB has announced the dates almost 3,000 ambulance workers will walk out across the Midlands.
Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff will strike on 21 and 28 December.
East Midlands Ambulance Service workers will strike from 06:00 – 05:59 each day.
West Midlands Ambulance Service workers will strike from 00:01 – 23:59 each day.
Workers across the ambulance services and some NHS Trusts have voted to strike over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award.
GMB representatives will now meet with both trusts to discuss requirements for life and limb cover.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said:
“Ambulance workers – like other NHS workers – are on their knees.
“Demoralised and downtrodden, they’ve faced twelve years Conservative cuts to the service and their pay packets, fought on the frontline of a global pandemic and now face the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.
“No one in the NHS takes strike action lightly – today shows just how desperate they are.
“This is as much about unsafe staffing levels and patient safety as it is about pay. A third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they’ve been involved with have led to the death of a patient.
“Something has to change or the service as we know it will collapse.
“GMB calls on the Government to avoid a Winter of NHS strikes by negotiating a pay award that these workers deserve.”
Around 2,000 East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) workers – around half its total workforce – will walk out to try to push the Government for a pay rise above inflation.
Tina Richardson, Deputy Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at EMAS said: “We recognise that this is a very difficult time for all of our people and want to support them through this challenging period.
“We fully respect the right of NHS staff to take lawful and peaceful industrial action, however we do urge national employer representatives and our trade union colleagues to proactively engage and reach a negotiated settlement to the dispute as quickly as possible.
“During this period of the dispute, we will do all we can to minimise the impact on our patients’ safety and will continue to work very closely with our Trade Union colleagues, regional service providers and NHS Employers and carry on supporting the wellbeing of our staff.”
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