A Unison Regional Organiser for Cumbria has said that there is an ‘appetite’ for strike action amongst NHS workers as strike ballots are sent out to union members.

NHS workers in Unison are the latest health workers to go to a strike ballot, after nurses and north west ambulance service workers have also been balloted by their unions.

Cumbria Unison representative, Dave Armstrong said that without an improved pay award from the government, strike action was the only tool workers could use.

“Despite the government saying they’ve invested record funding into the NHS, they’ve not given health workers any of it.”

They wanted everyone to clap for the health workers during the pandemic but don’t appear to want to give the workers a proper pay rise.”

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The government has already given NHS staff a 4.75 per cent pay rise this year with additional support for the lowest paid as recommended by the official NHS Pay Review Body but with inflation above 10 per cent critics say that more must be done.

Mr Armstrong said that some NHS workers were using foodbanks and that the health service was losing lower paid workers to other sectors.

“It’s a struggle for members at the lower at of the pay scale and we’re seeing people walk away as they’re better off and less stressed in other sectors.”

If members vote to take industrial action, emergency care will be protected and available to those who need it.

“Our members are perfectly aware that patients come first but standards of care are dropping in the NHS due to low levels of staffing,” said Mr Armstrong.

“There’s a real appetite for strike action and members have been inspired by the RMT and are saying ‘enough is enough.’”

The Unison ballot will close for Cumbrian members on November 25.

 

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