Two unions cancel ambulance strikes on Monday – but another will go ahead
National ambulance strikes have been suspended after GMB and Unison agreed to talks with the government.
The GMB union said there had been a “huge shift” in the government’s position over pay.
Ambulance workers had been set to walk out on Monday, and on 8 March.
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Unison members had also been due to walk out on 8 March.
However, 3,000 members of the Unite union will still walk out on Monday and Wednesday, after rejecting the government’s offer of pay talks, calling them an “ultimatum”, adding it wants to discuss pay rises, rather than the reported one-off payment the health secretary is said to be considering.
Both GMB and Unison revealed they had “assurances” there is more money for pay increases this year and next year that is above existing budgets, adding the talks will begin next week.
Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary, said: “GMB ambulance workers announced a tightening of the derogations for cover on strike days.
“Less than 24 hours later we received a letter from the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, inviting us and other unions to pay talks.
“This is a huge shift from the government, who for months have refused to consider negotiations on pay.
“Now, they are saying they are willing to sit down and talk.”
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UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “Unions said all along they could pause strikes if ministers would only commit to formal talks to boost pay for this year.
“The government has finally promised extra investment in pay for both this and next year.
“The sad thing is this could all have been handled so differently. Proper pay talks should have started months ago, long before the first strike was called. That would have avoided days of disruption for the NHS and its patients.
“Whether the talks signal the beginning of the end of the current dispute will emerge in the coming days. If a deal can be reached, strikes can end and everyone can work together again to ensure the NHS gets back on track.
“However, when we get in the room, we’ll quickly learn whether the talks can be meaningful. If not, UNISON will be forced to resume strike action. Nobody wants that.”
Also suspending strike action is the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), who’s members were due to walk out across 56 trusts on 22 March.
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In response, a Department of Health spokesperson said: “We’re pleased that Agenda for Change unions representing the majority of ambulance workers, nurses, physiotherapists, porters, cleaners and other non-medical staff have agreed to pause strikes and enter a process of intensive talks.
“We want to start these talks as soon as possible and are ready to meet over the weekend.
“We want to find a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role of NHS workers, the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the prime minister’s priority to halve inflation.
“It is disappointing Unite is going ahead with strikes next week. We urge them to call off strikes and join other unions at the negotiating table. Further strikes will cause more frustration and delays for patients, despite contingency plans in place.”
England follows a similar move in Wales
The move in England comes after a similar postponement in Wales.
Unite and GMB have said that they will also suspend strike action there after a “positive and intensive set of negotiations” on Friday.
They will now conduct further talks with Welsh Ambulance and the Welsh government.
While the talks are what the unions call a “positive step forward”, negotiations are set to continue on Monday.
In Scotland, teachers have been awarded a pay offer which amounts to a 14.6% uplift over 28 months, with the Scottish government calling it the “largest pay package in over 20 years”.
The union has recommended to its members they should accept the offer and suspend strike action.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
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In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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