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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the current wave of strikes by ambulance workers is terrifying for those who are in need of urgent care. Sunak’s comments come amidst criticism by trade unions that the government is not taking enough action to resolve the dispute over pay.
Speaking to parliament on Wednesday, Sunak said that the current strikes held by the country’s ambulance workers demanding better pay are concerning for patients who need immediate medical care. Sunak said those who need urgent care are not sure whether to call the 999 emergency services hotline or not out of concern due to the strikes.
Thousands of the country’s ambulance workers held the second day of strikes over pay and working conditions. The workers said they would only respond to the most urgent of cases. The first strike took place in December, with further action planned in January.
One of the trade unions that represent the ambulance workers, Unison, said the government “had months to intervene and end this dispute but has failed to do so,” blaming Sunak’s government for repeatedly refusing to hold negotiations with the unions. The union also said essential healthcare workers were leaving the health service due to low salaries.
Health minister Steve Barclay previously said the ambulance strikes were regrettable and expressed concern over the strikes’ impact on patient safety, even as arrangements with ambulance staff to respond to urgent cases are in place.
Aside from the healthcare service, the United Kingdom’s postal, rail, and border force services were also holding strikes in recent months due to inflation.
On the same day, the British Public and Commercial Services trade union announced that 100,000 of its members across 124 government agencies would be taking industrial action on February 1 as part of the dispute over pay, pensions, and job security.
“We warned the government our dispute would escalate if they did not listen, and we’re as good as our work,” said PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka.
Serwotka said he would be meeting with a government minister on Thursday, and the dispute could be resolved if more money was offered to the union’s members.
