Ambulance members vote to strike

Union members at Shropshire and West Midlands Ambulance Service have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking industrial action.

The public service union Unison balloted its members in a dispute over a new pay deal.

Unison claim the Department of Health has lowered agreed pay scales.

Seventy two per cent of eligible members voted, with 93% approving of industrial action - and three quarters voted to go out on strike.

Union leaders met bosses from the ambulance service on Tuesday and are still hoping to strike a deal.

An ambulance service spokesman said they would meet again on 6 January and there would be no industrial action before then.