Unite the Union, one of Britain’s biggest trade unions, announced on Sunday that an ambulance strike due to take place in the UK this week has been called off after agreeing to enter into talks with the government over pay.
The union, which is planning strike action on Monday and Wednesday at seven ambulance trusts, has previously rejected the government’s invitation for talks, citing “unreasonable preconditions” from ministers.
The Department of Health and Social Care has asked NHS staff councils, which also include representatives from leading healthcare unions, to engage in “intensive negotiations”, with the aim of reaching a “fair and reasonable” deal on strict pay. if the union cancels all strike action planned before negotiations.
The proposal was welcomed by other health unions which called off a planned ambulance strike which would have seen around 13,000 ambulance workers affiliated with the GMB and around 25,000 ambulance workers supported by Unison walk out across the UK this week.
Last month, the Royal College of Nursing, which last year demanded a pay rise of around 19 per cent, suspended a planned 48-hour strike action and also agreed to “intensive” talks with the health department.
Representatives from Unite have rejected the government’s condition for talks on Friday, arguing that the prospect of a lump sum payment rather than a permanent pay rise does not address workers’ concerns over pay. It criticized the government’s focus on “productivity” and “efficiency” of savings.
However, in a change of position on Sunday, Unite, which represents around 3,000 ambulance workers, said it would now postpone strike action.
“Following further assurances from the government over the weekend, Unite has in good faith agreed to suspend strike action,” Unite chief operating officer Gail Cartmail said. “If the meeting does not meet these guarantees, the strike action will continue.”
The dispute between health unions and the government over pay, which emerged after ministers refused to reopen negotiations for the current financial year 2022/23, has begun to ease in recent weeks.
Last week, the GMB union confirmed that the government had agreed to discuss pay this financial year as well as next year, while the union had “received assurances of additional cash for two years on top of the existing budget”.
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “We are pleased that the unions representing the majority of ambulance workers, nurses, physiotherapists, porters, cleaners and other non-medical staff have agreed to pause the strike and enter an intensive discussion process.
“We want to find a fair and reasonable settlement that recognizes the important role of NHS workers, the wider economic pressures the UK faces and the prime minister’s priority to reduce inflation.”