UNION members working in the NHS in Worcestershire and across the country will go on strike for 12 hours as part of a long-running row over pay.

Members of Unison and other trade unions will walk our between 9am and 9pm on Thursday, January 29 in the third round of strikes following the government’s decision not to apply a one per cent pay rise to all staff.

Union members will then work to rule until Tuesday, February 24, when they will stage a 24-hour strike.

Unison’s regional head of health for the West Midlands Franco Buonaguro said: “We warned months ago that this dispute is here to stay unless the Government and NHS employers are prepared to negotiate with us.

“Instead they are being completely irresponsible by refusing to have meaningful negotiations on how we resolve this dispute.

“Our members’ pay has been frozen or held down for the past five years and there is no end in sight.

“On average, they have lost around 10 per cent in the value of their pay over the life of this parliament.

“We now have no option but to escalate and plan for longer strikes.”