Government warned if they refuse to negotiate with ambulance workers they could choose not to ‘provide life and limb cover’

The government has been warned that if they continue to refuse to negotiate with healthcare workers then ambulance staff could decide not to “provide life and limb cover.”

On Sunday Labour blasted the government accusing them of being “irresponsible” for not wanting to “negotiate” with nurses.

Speaking to Sky News, the shadow health secretary Wes Streeting MP accused the government of “not having a plan for the NHS this winter.”

The Unison union warned that staff “will get increasingly frustrated with this war against them” from the government if Ministers “don’t start talking.”

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Speaking to Sky News, Unison national officer Alan Lofthouse said, “But this is the willingness of staff to work through strike.

“And the trouble is, if the government don’t start talking to us, that staff will get increasingly frustrated with this war against them as they see the rhetoric from the government and they then may choose not to provide life and limb cover, which is the place that I think any of us want to get to.

“So there’s a real urgency for the government to wake up, stop looking at ways to prevent striking workers from striking and talk to us about pay and the cost of living.”

However, to be clear Lofthouse clarified that such a decision will not be directed by the union.

He added, “I’m not saying that we would remove life and limb cover.

“What happens is, you see, we will say to our members who are able to take their legal right to strike, that we would like you to provide life and limb cover.

“But it’s up to that individual worker whether or not they do take that up.

“And if enough people get sick of the government rhetoric against them as they see this, you know, attack on striking workers is really an attack on health workers.

“They may very well choose then not to come into work and provide that life and limb cover.”

Streeting added, “It is completely unreasonable for the government not to want to negotiate.”