Thousands of health workers strike over pay - including midwives for first time in history
Hundreds of thousands of health workers went on strike today in protest at the Government's controversial decision not to give them a one per cent pay rise, including midwives taking action for the first time in their history.
Picket lines were mounted outside hospitals and ambulance stations across England for four hours from 7am, including Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley and New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
Several trade unions were involved in the action, including those representing nurses, paramedics, hospital porters and ambulance crews as well as the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
The dispute involves over 400,000 NHS staff, who have been hit by pay freezes or below inflation rises since the coalition came to power in 2010.
Contingency plans have been worked out, and union members will deal with emergencies. Unions are protesting at the Government's decision not to accept the independent pay review body's recommendation to award a one per cent pay rise.
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Instead, ministers took the 'divisive' decision to only award a one per cent pay rise for those on top of their pay band, which unions say has denied the one per cent increase to 60 per cent of NHS workers.
Christina McAnea, national officer of Unison, said: "This is the first time in 32 years that NHS workers take industrial action over pay, and for many, it will be the first time. Up and down the country, hundreds of thousands of workers are out fighting for fair pay and for the NHS."
Trade unions taking part in the action are Unison, Unite, the GMB, the RCM, Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, Managers in Partnership, British Association of Occupational Therapists and the construction union Ucatt.
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