this is bbc news. the headlines at 11: ambulance workers go on strike today in a dispute over pay, as union leaders criticise the prime ministerfor not being willing to negotiate. every time the health secretary speaks, i ve got my head in my hands. i have never seen such an abdication of leadership than i have from rishi sunak and the health secretary. but the health secretary says the three unions striking today have refused to work with the government at the national level. ukraine s president volodomyr zelensky is travelling to washington today in his first overseas trip since war broke out. as the debate at holyrood continues into the night, the scottish government will allow 16 and 17 year olds to change
yet been called. the message today then is still to use 999 if there s a life threatening emergency. but in some other urgent cases, expect a longer wait for help. jim reed, bbc news. let s speak to our correspondents across the uk now. in a moment, we ll speak to tomos morgan, who s in cardiff, but first katherine da costa is in coventry for us. good morning, on the picket line, which is the mood amongst those on strike today? strike today? yes, about 30 or so ambulance strike today? yes, about 30 or so ambulance workers strike today? yes, about 30 or so ambulance workers from - strike today? yes, about 30 or so ambulance workers from the - strike today? yes, about 30 or so | ambulance workers from the unite union are here, they have been out since 6am this morning and they have got their banners and placards. they have been using their crackers and chanting. there has been quite a lot of high spirits but of course, there is anger, too. they are calling for fair pay. ambulances h
in and drive ambulances, although they re not allowed to treat patients or use blue lights. i call on the trade unions to act responsibly. they ve said that they will provide life threatening cover, that they will provide emergency cover. it s essential that they do so to protect patients. paramedics accept patient safety may be affected, but say strike action is still justified. they ve not taken the decision to take strike action lightly. they feel they have been forced into this position because year after year, the government have failed to listen to them. ambulance staff in northern ireland also went on strike last week. while in scotland a new pay offer has just been rejected by one union, but a strike has not yet been called. the message today then is still to use 999 if there s a life threatening emergency. but in some other urgent cases, expect a longer wait for help. jim reed, bbc news.
able to put 100 trucks in cardiff on the road you have 100 trucks stuck outside the road you have 100 trucks stuck outside the the road you have 100 trucks stuck outside the hospital. it would not change outside the hospital. it would not change anything. i think that, tied with the change anything. i think that, tied with the stress that that brings, on the cruise. with the stress that that brings, on the cruise, is why we are haemorrhaging our staff. that is lon- haemorrhaging our staff. that is long with haemorrhaging our staff. that is long with pay and conditions. crews long with pay and conditions. crews. when our employees with bountiful, crews. when our employees with bountiful, not earning as much as tesco bountiful, not earning as much as tesco and bountiful, not earning as much as tesco and waitrose, they are not earning tesco and waitrose, they are not earning as tesco and waitrose, they are not earning as much there in comparison. while earni
union leaders to address those. of course, if you are calling people to respond to life threatening emergency calls from the picket line, that creates further volatility as well. so that is what i was discussing with the unions, so that we can focus, which is my absolute focus, on patient safety. the unions say there was never a specific request for a nationwide deal when it came to dealing with emergency cases. i ve just seen a tweet from unison, one of the unions involved, which says they are utterly shocked and the accusations are a destruction from the government s own failings. it all feels like the relationships are getting worse rather than better. that was nick eardley, our chief political correspondent. stephen raven has been a paramedic with the west midlands ambulance service for the last eight years but is on strike today, and he told me earlier he believe the blame lies with the government.