Union consulting members on new offer in pay dispute

The GMB union have announced that they are to call off the industrial action that was due to take place this Thursday (29 January).

They say a new offer enables suspension of strike action while they consult with members on whether they wish to accept the offer. Other unions across the NHS have also called off industrial action that was due to occur around the same time.

GMB is to consult 22,000 members in the NHS in England and Northern Ireland on the offer that has emerged after a week of talks to resolve the pay dispute in the NHS.

The 24 hour strike action in the ambulance service on 29th January as well as the 12 hour strike action by GMB members in the rest of the NHS on that date is now suspended.

A national meeting of GMB NHS, Ambulance & Nursing Committee Senior Representatives will take place on Wednesday 4th February 2015. At the meeting full details of the offer will be set out and the timetable for a consultation will be agreed.

GMB members took part in the strike action in the NHS across England & Northern Ireland on 13th October and 24th November in the pay dispute.

Rehana Azam, GMB National Officer, said "GMB is pleased that after a week of talks we have secured a new offer. This enables us to suspend the strike action while we consult with our members on whether they wish to accept the offer or not".

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the union's decision to call off the strike on Twitter.

We've consistently said we wouldn't agree to anything that risked jobs and patient safety - and the NHS paybill won't increase next year.

— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) January 27, 2015

January 27, 2015