Patient transfer ambulance workers to strike in South London & Surrey NHS Trust
GMB union calling on trust to ‘pay up now’ or risk ‘severe disruption’ to appointments and treatments
Ambulance care assistants employed by Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action over their employer’s failure to pay backpay.
Members of GMB, the union for NHS and ambulance workers, have voted almost 94 per cent in favour of taking action on a turnout of nearly 80 per cent.
The dispute centres around backpay owed on the London Living Wage, with members owed up to £1300 in wages.
A strike committee has been formed, with strike dates to be set over the coming weeks.
Helen O’Connor, GMB Regional Organiser said:
“Our members carry out vital work for the community as they escort patients to life saving treatments.
“Ambulance staff care deeply about their patients and none of them want to strike, but they have been forced into this situation by Epsom and St Helier NHS who are inexplicably withholding wages owed to these staff.
“Any strike action is likely to cause severe disruption to patient appointments and treatments.
“GMB has made every effort to resolve this dispute in talks, but our efforts have fallen on deaf ears and nothing is being done to address this wage theft.
“Mistreating and demoralising NHS workers has a devastating impact on patient care so we are calling on the trust to respect these valuable workers and pay up now.”
