New strike for ambulance staff

Ambulance technicians fear a pay cut as well as lost bonuses

Ambulance technicians in Merseyside and Cheshire are staging their second 24-hour strike in a week.

Last Thursday some 200 technicians and high dependency staff walked out in a row over the government's re-organisation of NHS pay bands.

Tuesday's strike action follows a failed meeting on Friday between unions and managers to resolve the dispute.

Technicians - who assist paramedics - fear the restructure will lead to a pay cut, as well as lost bonuses.

The new system introduces a new basic salary with additional payments for working unsociable hours but the Ambulance Service Union believes the change equates to a cut in the hourly rate paid to technicians.

However, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust said it has pledged a million pounds to develop the skills of about 90 technicians to allow improvements in salary over a period of time.

Paramedics are not involved in the strike action.