Great Britain prepares the army to drive ambulances

Britain is preparing the army to step in and drive ambulances after more than 10.000 paramedics and civil servants went on strike, reports Reuters

Tensions over salaries have been growing for some time, between the Government and health workers.

Double-digit inflation has sparked an outcry across the British economy, where workers fear the prospect of falling wages at a time when food and energy prices are rising and the economy is sliding into recession.

It is already affecting Britain's publicly funded health system, with nurses striking last Sunday for the first time in more than 100 years. Their demand is the same, they are asking for a salary increase of 5 percent above inflation.

In some parts of the country, ambulance drivers, dispatchers and support staff will walk off the job on Wednesday, marking a more visible and potentially dangerous phase of social unrest that has hit both the rail network and postal services.

"Patients will be affected by these strikes," said Health Minister Steve Barclay.

Ambulances will be active for emergencies and life-threatening cases, while patients with less serious conditions are advised to drive themselves to the hospital.

In response to the unrest, the government turned to its armed forces, putting 600 drivers and 150 logistics personnel on standby.

Both sides in the wage dispute say it's up to the other to make the first move.

The government will not discuss the 4 percent increase it gave its health staff in July, on the recommendation of an independent pay review. Worried about tight budgets and fueling inflation, they say large wage increases would be irresponsible.

Ambulance workers, on the other hand, did not outline their exact demands, but UNISON union leader Kristina Mekanea said there was a risk of staff leaving the service for better-paid jobs, calling the government's approach to negotiations "totally unyielding".

"Seriously, there is no trust between us and the government," she told BBC radio.