Health services in Wales will face a perfect storm on Monday, February 6, as both ambulance unions and nurses walk out of work on strikes on the same day. It's the first day during the industrial action so far that the strikes have been co-ordinated.
The Unite union has today confirmed it will be joining the other ambulance union, the GMB, and the nursing union the RCN in striking on February 6 as part of a series of walkouts. It marks an escalation of the bitter dispute over pay and staffing.
The union has said its members across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will stage 10 further strikes over the coming weeks, warning that additional dates could be announced soon. Unite's workers in Wales will be striking on February 6, February 20, March 6 and March 20.
The 1,500 GMB ambulance workers in Wales are already set to walk out next Monday as the bitter row with the government remains deadlocked.
GMB's Ambulance trust workers will be striking in Wales on:
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Monday 6 February in North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales
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Monday 20 February in East Midlands, North East and Wales
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Monday 6 March in North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales
- Monday 20 March in North West, North East,West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Rather than act to protect the NHS and negotiate an end to the dispute, the government has disgracefully chosen to demonise ambulance workers.
"Ministers are deliberately misleading the public about the life and limb cover and who is to blame for excessive deaths.
"Our members faithfully provide life and limb cover on strike days and it's not the unions who are not providing minimum service levels.
"It's this government's disastrous handling of the NHS that has brought it to breaking point, and as crisis piles on crisis, the prime minister is seen to be washing his hands of the dispute. What a disgrace. What an abdication of leadership."
Speaking on BBC's Political Thinking podcast, she called on Rishi Sunak to personally intervene on pay negotiations.
The newly-announced strike action will involve Unite's members in the North West, North East, East Midlands, West Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Unite said that as with previous strikes, its representatives will be working at regional level to agree derogations to ensure that emergency life and limb cover will be in place during the action.
Other derogations will ensure that patients needing lifesaving treatment, such as renal care and cancer treatment, will be transported to their appointments, said the union.
Unite official Onay Kasab said: "The resolution to this dispute is in the government's hands. This dispute will only be resolved when it enters into proper negotiations about the current pay dispute.
"The government's constant attempts to kick the can down the road and its talk about one off payments, or slightly increased pay awards in the future, is simply not good enough to resolve this dispute."
On Monday, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), announced its biggest strike to date on February 6 and 7, involving all but one health board in Wales.
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