HEALTH unions turned on each other last night as nurses called off strikes to hold fresh pay talks.
Furious Unison bosses responded by announcing a fresh ambulance and nurse walkout on March 8.
They raged that only the Royal College of Nursing was invited for talks yesterday with Health Secretary Steve Barclay — and let rip at a “pick-and-mix” approach to ending the dispute.
The GMB also took a swipe, with National Secretary Andy Prendergast accusing ministers of plotting a “tawdry, backroom divide-and-conquer deal”.
He added: “We are very disappointed the RCN has decided to try to strike a separate deal that ignores the hundreds of thousands of nurses who are part of other unions.”
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And the British Medical Association also piled in to condemn the one-on-one talks after its junior doctors voted to strike.
Dr Rob Laurenson, chair of the committee, said: “The Government has agreed to enter a process of intensive talks with other unions but the strength of feeling of our members is being resolutely ignored.”
The BMA also threatened to confirm a strike next month that could involve thousands of trainee medics if Mr Barclay will not meet with them this week.
Downing Street yesterday refused to deny ministers could reopen last year’s pay offer for nurses — a key demand of the unions — to break the deadlock.
