Working on a strike day?
Life and limb cover will always be provided on NHS strike days so a proportion of employees have to work during a strike particularly in emergency services. The aim is always to protect the vulnerable while also ensuring that some workers get the opportunity to take part in strike action to fight for better pay, terms and conditions. In other words, whether or not GMB had won a strike mandate in LAS some operational and 111 staff would still be required to provide cover work during a strike day.
The GMB position on the Ambulance Service Strikes
The GMB UNION position is that we always show full solidarity with fellow union members on strike even if our members are not directly involved in the strike action themselves. You should be permitted to join the picket lines on your break or if you are not working and our members should make every effort to do so and bring GMB flags and banners with you where available. You can send any pictures into me helen.oconnor@gmb.org.uk and I will ensure they are published. Any threats of disciplinary action for supporting a picket line in your own time should be reported to me so that we can deal with this robustly.
My rights on a strike day
What are my rights on a strike day if I cannot participate in strike action?
On a strike day you are still entitled to the same shift patterns, rest breaks as you would have on a regular work day.
You will be entitled to be paid your full salary. Your workload should not be increased just because your colleagues are on strike.
I feel angry about the ballot result so I am thinking of leaving GMB UNION
It is never wise or helpful to skip from one union to another and back again because you put yourself at risk of not being able to get representation when you need it. UNIONs that advise employees to leave their trade unions off the back of one national dispute are misleading them. GMB UNION still has a large group of dedicated, highly experienced representatives who are out there in workplaces helping members on a day to day basis.
We are asking all GMB members to bear in mind that this is a national dispute that both GMB and other health unions are supporting in full and the aim is to win decent, pay and working conditions right across the NHS and ambulance trusts. Many GMB ambulance service members are taking part in strike action right across the country so whether you are working to provide life and limb cover or not this fight belongs to all of us.
In solidarity
Helen O’Connor
Posted: 10th February 2023