GMB, the union for ambulance staff, has announced a second North West Ambulance Service paramedics strike on Friday June 29 as part of a long-running pay dispute.
Ambulance staff across the region – which covers Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester – will stage a six hour walk out at the beginning of each day shift on June 29, 2018.
Earlier industrial action saw staff stage a two hour walk on June 18.A ballot of members saw more than 84% of those who responded vote for strike action.
Paramedics working for North West Ambulance Service have waited patiently for the outcome of job re-evaluation going back more than 12 years.
Paul Turner, GMB Organiser, said:
“GMB’s hard-working North West paramedics have simply had enough.
“We submitted a freedom of information request to NWAS, which made it clear the Trust that had sought advice from senior figures within NHS employers – a clear breach of national job evaluation guidelines (JEG).
“Our members now have no confidence in the JEG to enable a a fair and transparent evaluation.GMB is asking for an independent investigation to be undertaken into what has gone on during the past 13 years and the reason we are in this situation.
“Our members have been astoundingly patient in waiting for their job to be re-evaluated for the years between 2005 to 2016.We are not taking this action lightly and would have expected the employer to take it more seriously.After almost 13 years, our members are now saying enough is enough.”
