Ambulances belonging to London Ambulance Service park at St. Thomas' Hospital in London, UK, December 7, 2022. /CFP
The British government announced on Sunday that it will dispatch about 1,200 troops and 1,000 civil servants to fill in for striking ambulance and border staff over Christmas.
The move, intended to keep front-line services running as multiple public sector unions walk off the job in the week before Christmas, was criticized by one of the United Kingdom's largest trade unions, which said military staff are not "sufficiently trained" to take on ambulance roles.
UK's Health Secretary Steve Barclay responded that their priority is to keep patients safe.
Due to cost-of-living increase and pay disputes, UK faces weeks of massive strikes during the Christmas season by transport and postal workers, nurses and border guards.
Unions are seeking pay increases to keep pace with inflation, which was running at 10.7 percent in November, down slightly from 11.1 percent in October but still a 40-year high.
According to the BBC, some 10,000 ambulance staff will join in the walkouts on December 21 and 28.
(With input from agencies)
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