Ambulance strike 2023: West Midlands workers staging walkout over pay and staffing today

Ambulance workers across West Midlands will stage a fresh strike on Friday (February 17) as part of their long-running dispute over pay and staffing. Almost 1,000 members of the GMB and Unite will reportedly mount picket lines outside hospitals across the region

In a statement, the GMB union said the workers will not be “fobbed off” by the government which is refusing to negotiate on pay. The workers have previously rejected a 4% increase in which the unions called a “massive real terms pay cut” with inflation still at more than 10%,

GMB senior organiser Stuart Richards said: “West Midlands ambulance workers are on strike over this year’s pay. But ministers seem to think GMB members will be fobbed off by pretending this year’s cost-of-living crisis hasn’t happened. They are wrong.

“The government could easily get these strikes suspended, so why are they leaving NHS workers and the public to suffer? It’s simple: talk pay now and make a decent offer for this year. Our members and the public are waiting.”

According to the GMB, their members will be striking from 6am today until 8am tomorrow. Ambulance workers are represented by Unison, GMB, and Unite, with today’s action comprising GMB and Unite.

Crews were providing emergency cover for emergencies such as cardiac arrest, as agreed with management. The announcement comes after the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) declared a major increase in strike action at more than 120 NHS employers in England.