GMB Strike Ballot for NHS and Ambulance Workers Across Southern England Opens Today
Until this Government makes a serious attempt to engage, the only choice is progress with the GMB Union's industrial action ballot.
GMB Union’s strike ballot for NHS and Ambulance workers across southern England opens today [10 November 2021]
The vote comes after GMB members overwhelmingly rejected the Government’s imposition of a below inflation 3% pay award – which amounts to another real terms pay cut.
Members in 55 NHS trusts [1] across the south of England will be balloted, with the vote closing on 15 December.
A positive strike vote could lead to a new year walk out of GMB’s front line nursing, ambulance, and support services staff across the whole of the NHS in the South East, South London, Dorset and Wiltshire.
GMB has been campaigning for a restorative increase of 15%, or £2 per hour - whichever is highest -to replace what has been lost from NHS pay packets over the last decade.
The union was the only one to reject the last NHS pay deal in 2018.
Nick Day, Lead NHS Officer for Southern Region, said:
“Despite an 94% rejection of the paltry pay offer by GMB members back in September - there has been no hint of an intervention to try and resolve this dispute by the government.
“We therefore today open our strike ballot for GMB members across 55 NHS Trusts in South East, South London. Dorset and Wiltshire - and call on members to support industrial action.
“Our mandate from GMB members was clear – no to ten years of pay rises below the cost of living, no to the below inflation pay rise this year and a big no to being undervalued by a government too busy mired in sleaze to care about the front line.
“With the upcoming rise in National Insurance, the soaring cost of fuel and energy and the lack of resources and staff in our NHS, they have said enough is enough.
“We will only get a resolution to this when the Government makes a serious attempt to engage. Until then the only choice is progress with the GMB’s industrial action ballot.”
