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LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) – Thousands of British ambulance workers will hold two more strikes on Jan. 11 and 23 in an escalating dispute over pay and staffing, the Unison trade union said on Thursday, following a similar walkout by staff on Wednesday.
While Wednesday’s strike, which also involved workers from two other trade unions, lasted 12 hours, two Unison strikes next month will last 24 hours, Unison said in a statement.
The union, which represents the majority of ambulance workers in Britain, said the walkout would involve all ambulance staff, as opposed to just emergency response crews, although many would be exempt from strike action under the Emergency Cover Plan.
Unison general secretary Christina McNea said only dialogue would end the dispute. “No health workers want to go on strike again in the new year.”
The strike comes as the already-under-pressure health system faces further strain this winter, with nurses also going on strike in a separate pay dispute.
The British Ministry of Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar Editing by Peter Graf
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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