Unite announces fresh NHS strikes in London and Yorkshire in pay and safe staffing dispute

Unite members at Guys and St Thomas’ hospital in London and at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service will take strike action next week in the long running dispute over pay and safe staffing.

The workers at Guys and St Thomas’ will hold a 24 hour strike from 07:00 on Thursday 13 July, while the union’s members at Yorkshire Ambulance Service will strike on Friday 14 June, between 15:00 and 22:00.

The industrial action in both cases will coincide with the latest strike action being taken by junior doctors who are members of the British Medical Association.

The strikes are the latest development in the union’s long running pay dispute. Unite rejected the government’s pay offer this spring, as it failed to address the recruitment and retention crisis that has engulfed the NHS.

Unite is also taking action due to increasing concerns about safe staffing in the NHS. A recent survey of Unite’s NHS workers found that in the past year 48 per cent of members had regularly witnessed staffing shortages that had compromised patient care.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The NHS’ recruitment and retention crisis is worsening by the day. Until the government addresses the chronic low pay of NHS workers, the problems currently being experienced will only become more severe.

“Unite’s focus on the jobs, pay and conditions of its members, means that our workers taking industrial action in the NHS will enjoy the union’s complete support.”

Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “Our members are determined to take a stand and highlight how the government’s real terms pay cuts are undermining the NHS and risking patients’ lives.”

Unite is currently balloting/re-balloting a substantial number of its members at NHS Trusts throughout England to expand its industrial action mandate.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the NHS this week Unite called for NHS staff to be valued and not undermined and urged the government to take immediate action to resolve the staffing crisis facing the NHS.