LONDON — The planned strike of NHS trade unions, including London Ambulance Service (LAS) paramedics, for this Thursday, January 29, has been suspending following a pay proposal put forward by the government.
The unions’ lead negotiator, Christina McAnea said in a press release, “The two strike days staged by health workers last year have moved the government to negotiate with the unions.
“The proposals deliver pay rises of between 5.6 and 2.2 percent for more than 250,000 of the lowest paid workers in the NHS. We also got additional concessions for ambulance staff.”
The offer is said to address key concerns unions have about low pay in the NHS.
For the LAS, the suspension of the industrial action means the paramedics will be able to provide regular response to patients. Londoners are also reminded to only call for an ambulance for a genuine emergency.
The members of the NHS trade unions will not decide on accepting or rejecting the proposed pay raises. A rejection could lead to further industrial action.