NHS Wales: Ambulance workers' strike dates announced

Welsh ambulance workers will strike on 19 and 23 January after they voted for industrial action last year.

About 1,000 paramedics, medical technicians and call handling staff are among those expected to take action.

It comes after ambulance staff in five areas of England announced two further strikes on 11 and 23 January.

The Welsh government said it would work with ambulance service and health boards on contingency plans.

Members in Wales voted by 88% for industrial action and are set for two 24-hour strikes, but Unite union said it would agree emergency "life and limb" cover.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite will stand 100% behind our Welsh Ambulance members who are striking to save our NHS.

"They see first-hand every day how the NHS is collapsing, and decent pay increases is the only way to improve NHS recruitment and relieve the crippling pressure on ambulance services."

She added that the roots of the dispute may be in Westminster, but the Welsh government needed to move to improve its pay offer in order to avoid a prolonged dispute.

Unite Wales regional officer Richard Munn said: "The anger that has led to this strike is about more than just pay, staff are exhausted and stressed and the meagre pay increase was the final straw for most.

"We know that the Welsh government has limited finances but Unite is imploring them to come to the table with an increased offer, as was the case in Scotland."

The Welsh government said: "The public should be assured that arrangements will be made with unions to ensure there will always be a safe level of staffing, with life-saving and life-maintaining care being provided during any industrial action."

Welsh Conservatives blamed the need for industrial action on "25 years of crippling mismanagement" by the Welsh government.

Shadow Health Minister Russell George said: "The blame lands firmly at the door of Labour ministers. This cost-of-pain crisis is a living nightmare for those left wondering if a life-saving ambulance will arrive or not, or whether they will be seen in A&E in a reasonable time.

"But it is clearly now taking an agonising toll on our dedicated on our Welsh Ambulance members, who feel like they are entering a warzone every single day and can longer carry out their jobs effectively until something changes."