STRIKING paramedics have received no answer from their employers so will hold further strike action next week.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) staff walked out for two hours on Monday over a dispute dating back to 2005.

Now union GMB has announced a further six hours of strike action in a bid to increase the pressure on the employers.

Mike Buoey, organiser of GMB, said: “The staff who took action were quite upbeat [on Monday] and buoyant about it.

“They feel quite positive again that we’re the only union that’s taking the action. There are other unions at NWAS but it’s only GMB taking the action.

“There’s another strike a week on Friday, on June 29, for six hours on the day shift again from 6am to midday.

“Whenever they start their shift they will be taking six hours action.”

The dispute has been running since a points-based job evaluation of paramedics in 2005, Mr Buoey said the NWAS paramedics were graded band five, but were one point off band six. Since then they have been fighting to be re-evaluated in the hopes of moving up a band.

Paramedics with GMB voted for the action at the beginning of May with more than 84 per cent of those balloted voting for a strike.

Paramedics shifts range from eight to 12 hours in length and the two hour walk out on Monday was thought to cause minimal disruption.

According to NWAS 135 GMB paramedics were rostered to work on Monday.

Mr Buoey said: “We know it affected people on mandatory training courses so that caused some problems because they will have to go on that in the future.”

On the strike next week Mr Buoey said: “It’s to try and apply some pressure to the employers.

“We’re asking for two things, an independent enquiry into why it’s taken 13 years and for someone to assess or evaluate the job role.

“I would hope NWAS will still get round the table and meet with us to talk and resolve this issue.”

NWAS deputy chief executive, Michael Forrest said on Monday he was ‘disappointed’ by the strike and that discussions were still on going to resolve the matter.

NWAS declined to comment further on the strikes.