Chi Onwurah, Labour MP for Newcastle Central has called on the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay MP, to urgently resolve the industrial dispute which has caused forthcoming strike action.
In a letter to Barclay, Chi acknowledges the strong turnout for industrial action among the ambulance service, saying “the strength of feeling within the ambulance service is clear for all to see with strong turnouts from workers voting for strike…”
Echoing her words in the Commons chamber last week, Chi again stated that the government urged people to “clap our pandemic heroes”. Urging the Health Secretary to get around the negotiating table, Chi goes on to say “they deserve nothing less than your full attention.”
The strikes come in a month which has seen widespread industrial action across many sectors. In the healthcare sector, the Royal College of Nurses took strike action for the first time in the union’s history, with picket lines outside hospitals across the country, including Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.
Chi ends the letter calling for the government to resolve the strike action:
“It’s time the government responded to this by meeting in good faith with unions and negotiating.”
