Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

"OUR Ambulance workers in the North West of England are continuing strike action over the withdrawal of bonus payments after bosses failed to offer a solution to the dispute," says UNISON.

Staff who train despatchers to respond to:- 999 calls began a fresh series of walkouts across the Region, on:- Thursday, 10 July 2025. These continue until:- Wednesday, 16 July 2025, and follow 12 days of action by employees since March.

Further strike dates will follow unless senior managers at:- North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) begin negotiations to find an acceptable way of settling the dispute, UNISON says.

Trainers say the removal of the:- "premia" incentive payment means some staff are up to:- £3,000 out of pocket. Withdrawing the money also hampers the ability of the NHS to attract and retain training staff, and 999 call handlers, the union adds.

UNISON says workers lost the payment after changes were made to the training team without proper consultation with staff representatives, which is a potential breach of NHS rules.

The union is demanding full restoration of the bonus payment and a review of recruitment and retention in the service.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham recently wrote to NHS England, urging managers to convene talks.

UNISON North West regional organiser James Bull said:- "Ambulance service bosses haven't put forward a reasonable offer, nor shown they're even willing to begin negotiations. To add insult to injury, a significant number of the staff involved have applied for other roles during control room restructures, but have been told they can’t be released from their current posts. This is a perfect example of the ongoing chaos caused by staff turnover and problems filling specialist posts, which Ambulance service bosses claim no longer exist."

Some extra information:- This round of industrial action will culminate on:- Wednesday, 16 July 2025, with a picket line and rally, from:- 8am to 11am, at Bolton Ambulance Station, Bolton, BL1 5DD.