industrial action

General secretary Paul Whiteman said the union "will now consider an appeal" and will consult its members on industrial action.

Talks are due to resume on Monday after Northern Ireland's health staff unions rejected a renewed pay offer and said they will ballot for industrial action.

Tesla had some 130 mechanics working at the time the industrial action was called.

"And I think he doesn't view the industrial action that the union has taken as an invitation to negotiate, but rather as an ultimatum to sign a dotted line that he doesn't want to sign."

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "The threat from un-budgeted redundancy payments, higher drug prices and renewed industrial action risks derailing progress on key waiting time targets and the wider reforms that are essential to getting the NHS back on track."