2015/16 NHS Pay Settlement for Ambulance Staff – consultative ballot results

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Joint Ambulance Trade Union Statement 03 June 2016

2015/16 NHS Pay Settlement for Ambulance Staff – consultative ballot results

UNISON, GMB and Unite, 3 of the trade unions representing the majority of ambulance workers, have conducted consultative ballots of ambulance staff over the government’s failure to deliver on their promises to ambulance staff in England in 2015/16.

The results are conclusive and show that ambulance staff in England will take part in industrial action, including strike action, if the government does not deliver. We now have a clear mandate to launch a full ballot of ambulance staff.

Due to the strength of feeling shown in the results of our consultative ballots, the government and employers have asked us to talk to them about averting a dispute.

This means looking at the problems with recruitment and retention of ambulance staff – importantly the banding of paramedics – and making commitments to improve the health and wellbeing of ambulance workers.

We are clear that ambulance staff have waited for 12 months and are not going to wait longer. If possible, we would also like to avoid a dispute, and the disruption that strike action will bring, however we know that ambulance staff are not prepared to wait indefinitely.

We will be calling on the government to make real commitments to ambulance staff, within clear timescales. If there is a genuine will to avert a dispute then we will pause the move to a full industrial action ballot while we hold constructive discussions.

Each union will report their ballot results to members and consult over the next steps.

UNISON’s ballot results are:

[alert type=”e.g. general, error, success, notice”]Q. I am prepared to take action short of strike action

Yes 93.3% No 6.7%[/alert] [alert type=”e.g. general, error, success, notice”]Q. I am prepared to take strike action

Yes 77.4% No 22.6%[/alert]

Turnout 41%

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