A 10-hour strike by ambulance personnel is scheduled for today in the south-east of England.
The union is stepping up its industrial action on Tuesday, and employees of South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust and South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust will go on strike from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Members of Unite and the Royal College of Nursing turned down the government’s offer of a lump sum cash payment and a 5% wage raise for this year last month, despite the majority of other health unions doing the same.
There will be picket lines in Portsmouth, Hampshire and Northfleet, Kent as the union says it aims to increase the pressure on the government to reopen negotiations.
Unite says it’s in the process of undertaking industrial action ballots to expand the number of workers able to strike.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the union, said: ‘The government must reopen negotiations to ensure that a proper wage offer is made to NHS workers.
‘We have always said that a non-consolidated lump sum for 22/23 would not cut it. So it has turned out.
‘The current offer does nothing to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis crippling the NHS.
‘The strike action by our south east ambulance workers is part of Unite’s escalation strategy to exert greater pressure on the government.’
Ambulance workers in the south east also took part in strike action last Tuesday (May 2), following on from widespread NHS industrial action in February and March.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman told the BBC patients in affected areas should continue to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency, and use 111 for non-urgent health needs.
The spokesman added: ‘It is disappointing some Unite members are continuing strike action this week – these strikes will put more pressure on the NHS and will be disruptive for patients.
‘Most unions on the NHS staff council voted to accept our pay offer and we hope the unions who choose to remain in dispute – despite many of their members also voting to accept this offer – will recognise this as a fair outcome that carries the support of their colleagues and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.’