Paramedics will take part in a strike across the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) region this Saturday (July 21).

This is the fourth time GMB members have taken action in recent weeks as part of the long-running pay dispute.

Paramedics working for NWAS say they have ‘waited patiently’ for the outcome of a job re-evaluation going back more than 12 years.

Some ambulance staff across the region – which covers Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester – are staging a 12-hour walk out on Saturday.

North West Ambulance Service
North West Ambulance Service

A ballot of members saw more than 84% of those who responded vote for strike action.

Mike Buoey, GMB organiser, said: “Our members are desperate to get this situation resolved – they’ve been waiting a long time for their job to be re-evaluated for the years between 2005 to 2016.

“The last thing we want is ongoing industrial action, yet NWAS seem determined to let the situation continue.

“We’ve had just one meeting since the strikes started – most of the time we are forced to speak via email.

“We’ve asked a number of times to meet with the chair of the trust, and we get ignored. This is not the way to solve a delicate dispute.

North West Ambulance Service stock image
North West Ambulance Service stock image

“After almost 13 years, our members are now saying enough is enough.”

Michael Forrest, deputy chief executive for NWAS, said prior to a previous walk-out: “The trust is extremely disappointed with the actions proposed by GMB and believes it has worked closely with them to try and work through the issues which formed the basis of the ballot. Talks are ongoing and we will be doing all we can to minimise any impact on the public.

“We will continue to make attempts to resolve these issues as quickly as possible and would like to assure the public that their safety is our primary concern.”