NI Ambulance Service staff to strike this week

STAFF from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) are to stage further days of strike action in the coming months, it has been reported.

Four new walkout dates have been set for February and March, as part of the ongoing disagreement between the unions and the NIAS over a pay dispute.

On February 6, the ambulance staff will be joined by nurses from the GMB union in what will be the biggest NHS walkout so far in this dispute.

The first date of strike action that will affect the Western and Southern Trust areas will be on Thursday (January 26).

More strike action will continue throughout February and March as negotiations ongoing between the unions and the British Government.

It is understood that not all ambulance staff including paramedics, call handlers and support workers will strike at once. Under trade union law, emergency cover will still be provided and staff can leave the picket lines to attend.

Unite the union has said that they had no other action than to call more days of strike action.

Unite’s national lead officer, 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 sufficient to resolve this dispute.

“We continue to liaise with our colleagues in the NIAS regarding their ongoing industrial action and the impact on services during ongoing strike actions.”