NHS workers in Wyre Forest who are members of the trade union Unison will be walking out of their jobs for 12 hours later this month as part of pay disputes.

Picket lines are due to be held from 9am until 9pm on Thursday, January 29, outside Kidderminster Hospital, as well as at the other major hospitals throughout Worcestershire.

Staff will return to work to rule between Friday, January 30, and Tuesday, February 24, meaning they will only work their contracted hours, taking breaks and not do unpaid overtime.

This action will be followed by a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, February 24.

Franco Buonaguro, regional head of health for Unison, said: “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. The anger among health workers has reached levels where they are now ready to walk out for 24 hours.

“In the NHS, many workers are facing serious financial hardship especially at this time of year.

“It is a national disgrace that 77,000 NHS staff still don’t receive the living wage and that many have to rely on food banks.

“All we are asking is for fair and decent pay for NHS workers."

Unison members, along with workers from 11 other trade unions, have already taken two four-hour stoppages in October and November last year.

The union said the action is in protest at the Government’s rejecting a 1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff as recommended by the independent Pay Review Body in 2014 and that most workers will be denied a pay increase in 2015/16.