On Wednesday, paramedic workers began a strike that will continue into Thursday, causing the British government to warn citizens to only call for an ambulance in extreme emergencies. Similar to the nurses who recently went on strike, these paramedic workers are demanding a pay raise that meets the cost of inflation. There has been a sharp fall in real wages in the UK since the turn of the century, which has acutely affected public sector workers. The walkouts being held by workers in the National Health Service, like paramedics and nurses, are particularly rare, signaling a desperation for improvements in working conditions and compensation.
See "Labor actions continue throughout UK as paramedic workers go on strike", Rob Picheta, CNN, December 21, 2022