Yorkshire ambulance staff strike over safety fears
Tuesday 19 March 2013
Printable
EmailYorkshire ambulance workers will strike as part of a long-running dispute over patient safety and derecognition of their union Unite.
The union said its 450 members in the Yorkshire service, including paramedics and other staff, will walk out on April 2 and ban overtime from March 26.
The union was derecognised after raising concerns about the effect on patient safety of £46 million in cuts over the next five years.
Nearly 62 per cent voted for strike action and 83 per cent supported action short of a strike.
Regional officer Terry Cunliffe urged management to talk to Unite to resolve the issue "for the benefit of the Yorkshire public."
Bosses have twice refused the union's request to go to conciliation service Acas.
Savings include the introduction of "emergency care assistants," who only undergo a two-week course, to serve alongside paramedics that have completed a two-year degree.
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