Strike action is set to continue into this week in Cumbria with ambulance drivers scheduled to take industrial action.

Rail workers, postal workers, driving examiners and university lecturers have all taken strike action over the last six weeks and more are planned for this week as hopes of a thaw in relations between employers and workerforces remain slim. 

Ambulance workers in the Great North Ambulance Service are set to walk out on Wednesday, December 21 in a dispute over pay and working conditions.

Life threatening situations will still be covered by members of staff, but non urgent call outs may face long waits.

“Ambulance staff and their health colleagues don't want to inconvenience anyone. But ministers are refusing to do the one thing that could prevent disruption - that's start genuine talks about pay” said Unison head of health Sara Gorton.

"Wages are too low to stop health workers quitting the NHS. As more and more hand in their notice, there are fewer staff left to care for patients.

"The public knows that's the reason behind lengthy waits."

The government have said they have awarded a pay rise to staff based on the indpendent NHS pay review body of an average of 4.5 per cent.

Nursing staff will also walk out on December 20 as part of their dispute, however nurses at North and West Cumbrian hospitals will be in work as the required threshold to take strike action was not reached across the regional NHS Trust.

Postal workers will strike on December 23 and 24 in the midst of their busiest season.

There have been reports of letters and parcels piled high across the country and the strikes have forced Royal Mail to bring forward their final dates for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

Royal mail has offered workers their ‘best and final’ offer but the two sides are still some way off a negotiated settlement.

Staff at Network Rail represented by the RMT are set to walk out on Saturday, 24 December at 6pm. They will remain on strike through to Tuesday, 27 December.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said these strikes will have a “minimal” impact on Christmas.

He said: “The public is with us. I get lots of messages of support, we get support when we are out on our picket lines.

“We know that the public will be upset and even angry about the disruption. Some of that anger should be put towards the Government and the companies.”

Strike action is not limited to the festive period with unions promising further action in the new year if deals aren’t reached and more sectors are balloting their members for strike action raising fears of a winter of discontent.

 

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