Pressure growing for an all-out ambulance strike

Officials in three areas backed an escalation of the dispute, but the

unions' chief negotiator, Mr Roger Poole, insisted the service would be

maintained.

''Our strategy is very clear,'' he said. ''We will not call a strike

in the ambulance service. I can understand that, because of frustration,

many people would want to call a strike.''

Mr Poole and the national disputes committee are being pressed to

bring the pay dispute, now entering its 15th week, to a head.

Ambulance services are being disrupted in many areas, with Army,

police, and voluntary vehicles in operation to cover for regular staff.

Mr Sidney Spence, union leader in Northern Ireland, warned a strike

was likely early in the New Year, unless Health Secretary Mr Kenneth

Clarke acceded to the ambulance workers' pay demands: ''We can't go on

like this. All-out strike action is very much on the cards.''

Mr Spence, a member of the disputes committee, which meets in London

early next month, added: ''If that does happen, the Northern Ireland

ambulance service will be playing its part.''

Calls for a total stoppage also came from Mr Derick Gregory, NUPE

district officer for Wales, and Mr Nick Wright, East Midlands officer.

Mr Poole said: ''Mr Spence is speaking only for himself. There is no

change in our strategy.''

Mr Clarke is being urged by some Tory MPs to take a softer line. They

want him to end the stalemate by offering to set up a permanent and

independent pay review body.

Harlow MP Mr Jerry Hayes, who will put the plan to the Health

Secretary at a Westminster meeting tonight, said yesterday that union

sources had indicated to him they could find such a plan acceptable.

In return, the unions would have to accept the Government's offer for

this year, giving a bottom line increase of 6.5%.

The review body would replace the Whitley Council, which brings

together representatives from both sides, and would be allowed to offer

higher pay rates to ambulance workers trained as paramedics -- a system

favoured by Mr Clarke.

Mr Hayes, secretary of the Conservative backbench health committee,

said: ''We need a solution which will be honourable on both sides.

''At the moment, there is absolutely no way that the unions are going

to accept what the Government is putting forward. It is unreasonable,

but it is a reality. And for the Government, arbitration is absolutely

out.''

Mr Poole called the initiative ''a very helpful development. We have

been asking MPs to tell Mr Clarke he has not handled the dispute

properly.

''Mr Clarke must settle this dispute before Christmas. They have two

options -- settle the dispute, or they are going to have to make very

serious arrangements to call in hundreds of troops and police to deal

with the huge number of calls over the New Year period.''

Junior Health Minister Mrs Virginia Bottomley was criticised by Surrey

ambulancemen after telling them they were not part of an emergency

service, but an ''essential service''.

Qualified ambulanceman Mr Alistair Southby said: ''That is classing us

with dustmen and street sweepers. We were insulted and feel we are being

blackmailed because our consciences are keeping us at work. We feel we

are being intimidated into taking action we do not want.''