Unite union has said two 24-hour strikes will take place on the 19th and 23rd January 19 and 23.

Members of the union voted by a margin of 88% for industrial action over a pay dispute, with the union's general secretary, Sharon Graham stating: “Unite will stand 100 percent behind our Welsh Ambulance members who are striking to save our NHS.

“They see first-hand every day how the NHS is collapsing. A decent pay increases is the only way to improve NHS recruitment and relieve the crippling pressure on ambulance services.

“The roots of this dispute may be in Westminster, but the Welsh Government needs to move to improve its pay offer if we are to avoid a prolonged dispute.

“This union stands ready for serious negotiations with governments in all nations, Wales included. We now urgently need action to address the NHS pay and staffing crisis.”

Responding to the news, Welsh Conservatives have said that the Labour led Welsh Government needed to get ‘an urgent grip’ on the NHS after 25 years of ‘crippling mismanagement’.

Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Health, Russell George MS said: “Is it at all surprising that Welsh Ambulance members feel the need to go on strike following 25 years of crippling NHS mismanagement in Labour run Wales?

“Only last month, Wales saw the slowest ambulance response times on record. Let me be clear, this is not the fault of our hard-working Welsh Ambulance members - the blame lands firmly at the door of Labour ministers. This cost-of-pain crisis is a living nightmare for those left wondering if a life-saving ambulance will arrive or not, or whether they will be seen in A&E in a reasonable time.

“But it is clearly now taking an agonising toll on our dedicated on our Welsh Ambulance members, who feel like they are entering a warzone every single day and can longer carry out their jobs effectively until something changes.”

"Labour need to get an urgent grip on the NHS and stop breaking all the wrong records.”