Wales ambulance workers to strike after GMB rejects pay offer

Ambulance staff are set to go on strike on Monday

About 1,500 ambulance workers in Wales will strike on Monday after a pay offer was rejected.

The GMB union said about 66% of its members voted against the wages offer from the Welsh government.

Action had been suspended while members voted, but they will now strike on 20 February.

The Welsh government said it was disappointed, with a spokesman saying the offer was "a strong one" - 3% for 2022-23.

This was on top of the average 4.5% that was paid to health workers last autumn.

But Nathan Holman of the GMB in Wales said: "We thank the Welsh government for actually entering talks, but if this is their final offer it's too low for our members.

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"Now more than ever we need a UK-wide solution to the scourge of low pay that has affected our NHS and ambulance services."

GMB ambulance staff will be joined on the picket line on Monday by colleagues represented by the union Unite, which is holding a three-day walk out.

It will be the latest industrial action taken by health workers

A third ambulance workers' union in Wales, Unison, is re-balloting members after failing to win a mandate for strike action last year.

A Welsh government spokesman said: "We are disappointed the GMB has rejected our improved pay offer.

"We believe the offer, equivalent to an extra 3% - 1.5% of which will be in pay every year - is a strong one. This is on top of the 4.5% average pay rise for 2022-23, which has already been awarded.

"This is the best offer we can make in our current funding settlement. We have drawn together all our available funding from across the Welsh government to make this improved offer to try and resolve the dispute.

Ambulances have faced long waits to bring patients into hospitals

"We will wait for the views of other health trade union colleagues who continue to discuss this offer before considering the next steps. We are committed to continuing to work in social partnership."

Looking ahead to Monday's strike, the spokesman said the government was was working "to ensure life-saving and life-maintaining care" is provided, patient safety is maintained and disruption is minimised.

Sonia Thompson from the Welsh Ambulance Service said there would be "severe disruption from Monday through to Wednesday".

"We encourage the public to only call us in a life or limb-threatening emergency," she said.