Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent
Mon, May 22, 2023
Junior doctors in England will stage a 72-hour strike next month in their long-running dispute over pay.
Members of the BMA will walk out from 7am on June 14 after the Government failed to make a “credible offer” on pay, it was announced.
Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, said: “Since April’s strikes we have had three weeks of negotiations with the Government, seeking a deal that fully restores pay for junior doctors after the more than 26% drop they have suffered over the last 15 years.
“We entered these talks in good faith, hoping that after months of refusal by ministers to meet with us, we would finally see a real offer on the table that would avoid the need for more industrial action and stop the haemorrhaging of junior doctors from the NHS.
“In that time we have received an offer which is in no way credible or even reasonable for where we are in the negotiating process.
“We made clear from the very start that talks required a recognition of the scale of our pay erosion.
“No such recognition has been forthcoming.
“We made proposals showing our willingness to be creative and work with the Government on how the reversal of our pay erosion could be achieved.
“In the end, however, the Government would simply not accept the fundamental reality of the pay cuts junior doctors have faced.
“This was made clear when they finally made their pay offer of 5%.
Although it has announced a 72-hour strike, the BMA stills expects to announcement, it expected to hold talks with Health Secretary Steve Barclay (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
“Not only is that nowhere near addressing pay erosion over the last 15 years, it would not even have matched inflation this year.”
The BMA said, despite its strike announcement, it expected to meet Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Wednesday for talks.
A Government spokesperson said: “It is both surprising and deeply disappointing that the BMA Junior Doctors Committee has declared further strike action while constructive talks were ongoing. These will be hugely disruptive for patients and put pressure on other NHS staff.
“We made a fair and reasonable opening offer, and were in active discussions about both pay and non-pay issues.
“Unfortunately, it seems the BMA is unwilling to move meaningfully away from their unaffordable headline demands on pay.
“The Government has been clear that strikes must be paused while talks take place, so while the BMA has chosen to end our current discussions, we remain ready to continue them at any point if strikes are called off.”
Deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said: “It’s hugely disappointing that talks between the Government and the doctors’ unions have broken down again.
“We are now facing the deeply worrying prospect of another 72-hour walkout by junior doctors next month.
“As with previous strikes by junior doctors, this will lead to major disruption to patient care.
“We understand junior doctors feel they’ve been pushed to this point by factors including below-inflation pay uplifts and severe staffing shortages.
“Trust leaders will work flat out to ensure disruption is minimised on strike dates, but rapid resolution is needed at a national level to bring strike action to an end.
“With next month’s action by junior doctors now confirmed, their threats of more strikes over the summer and radiographers, nurses and consultants also balloting for industrial action, it’s vital serious talks take place between the Government and unions to resolve these ongoing disputes and avert further disruption to NHS services.”
Junior doctors in England plan more strikes in fight for better pay
Reuters
Mon, May 22, 2023
Junior doctors hold a strike amid a dispute with the government over pay, in London
LONDON (Reuters) -Junior doctors in England plan to stage more strikes in June, their union said, meaning more strain for the state-run health service, NHS, after pay negotiations with the government collapsed on Monday without a resolution.
The strikes will be from June 13 to 17, the British Medical Association (BMA), which represents about 45,000 junior doctors in England, said in a statement, threatening strikes "throughout the summer" if the government did not change its position.
Tens of thousands of junior doctors have already staged two rounds of walkouts this year to demand wage increases that match inflation, which as of last month was still running into double digits. The government has said such pay rises would only inflame inflation further, pushing up interest rates and mortgages.
The BMA describes junior doctors as those who are qualified in clinical training and have up to eight years' experience working as a hospital doctor or up to three years in general practice. They work under the supervision of a senior doctor.
Strikes by healthcare workers in the National Health Service (NHS), which have also included walkouts by nurses and ambulance workers, have led to the cancellation of numerous appointments, disrupting patient care at a time when millions are waiting for treatment.
"These will be hugely disruptive for patients and put pressure on other NHS staff," a government spokesperson said in a statement responding to the latest strike plan, adding they were ready to continue talks if strikes are called off.
The BMA said the government's latest pay offer of a 5% increase for 2023/24 was not a credible offer since it was "nowhere near addressing pay erosion over the last 15 years."
(Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Mark Porter and Jonathan Oatis)
Reuters
Mon, May 22, 2023
Junior doctors hold a strike amid a dispute with the government over pay, in London
LONDON (Reuters) -Junior doctors in England plan to stage more strikes in June, their union said, meaning more strain for the state-run health service, NHS, after pay negotiations with the government collapsed on Monday without a resolution.
The strikes will be from June 13 to 17, the British Medical Association (BMA), which represents about 45,000 junior doctors in England, said in a statement, threatening strikes "throughout the summer" if the government did not change its position.
Tens of thousands of junior doctors have already staged two rounds of walkouts this year to demand wage increases that match inflation, which as of last month was still running into double digits. The government has said such pay rises would only inflame inflation further, pushing up interest rates and mortgages.
The BMA describes junior doctors as those who are qualified in clinical training and have up to eight years' experience working as a hospital doctor or up to three years in general practice. They work under the supervision of a senior doctor.
Strikes by healthcare workers in the National Health Service (NHS), which have also included walkouts by nurses and ambulance workers, have led to the cancellation of numerous appointments, disrupting patient care at a time when millions are waiting for treatment.
"These will be hugely disruptive for patients and put pressure on other NHS staff," a government spokesperson said in a statement responding to the latest strike plan, adding they were ready to continue talks if strikes are called off.
The BMA said the government's latest pay offer of a 5% increase for 2023/24 was not a credible offer since it was "nowhere near addressing pay erosion over the last 15 years."
(Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Mark Porter and Jonathan Oatis)
Nurses start voting on whether to renew mandate for industrial action
Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent
Mon, May 22, 2023
Nurses start voting on Tuesday on whether to continue taking strike action in their long-running dispute over pay and staffing.
Almost 300,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England are being asked to renew their mandate for industrial action until the end of the year.
The RCN is urging members to vote “yes” to strike action, saying it would pressure ministers to improve the pay award for nursing staff and boost staffing levels to keep patients safe.
RCN members rejected the Government’s pay offer in April following several days of strike action since December.
The RCN’s new ballot will be aggregated, meaning the union is seeking a country-wide mandate to allow strikes in every NHS trust or other NHS employer in England where RCN members work.
Any future strikes would involve more than twice as many nursing staff at twice as many locations, said the RCN.
To achieve a country-wide mandate, 50% of all eligible members must vote and the majority must say “yes” to strike action.
The ballot will close on June 23, with the result expected to be announced the following week.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: “Once again, we have been forced to ask our members if they want to take to the picket lines in their fight for fair pay. This is unfinished business and the Government can get it resolved without the need for more strike action.
(PA Graphics)
“Ministers have tried to silence them through the courts as well as in Parliament but we will continue to make sure their voice is heard through the corridors of power.
“The NHS is fraying at the edges. To improve care and address the shortage, Government must bring more people into nursing and keep them there by paying staff fairly.”
Most health unions in England have accepted a 5% pay rise for this year and a cash payment for last year.
Members of the RCN and Unite voted to reject the offer.
Downing Street insisted the Government had made its final offer on pay.
A No 10 spokesman said: “We have offered a fair and generous deal that the RCN themselves recommended to its members and subsequently accepted by the majority of other unions via the NHS staff council.
“We continue to think it’s important that all unions recognise that collective decision and it should be respected.”
The spokesman said Rishi Sunak recognised nurses do “incredible work”, but “what we don’t want to see is patient care impacted any more than it has been with these strikes”.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We hugely value the work of nurses and it is disappointing the RCN is balloting their members for further industrial action.
“The majority of unions on the NHS Staff Council voted to accept the Government’s fair and reasonable pay offer – which includes a double-digit pay rise of 10.7% over two years for newly qualified nurses.
“We hope RCN members recognise this is a fair deal and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.”
Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent
Mon, May 22, 2023
Nurses start voting on Tuesday on whether to continue taking strike action in their long-running dispute over pay and staffing.
Almost 300,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England are being asked to renew their mandate for industrial action until the end of the year.
The RCN is urging members to vote “yes” to strike action, saying it would pressure ministers to improve the pay award for nursing staff and boost staffing levels to keep patients safe.
RCN members rejected the Government’s pay offer in April following several days of strike action since December.
The RCN’s new ballot will be aggregated, meaning the union is seeking a country-wide mandate to allow strikes in every NHS trust or other NHS employer in England where RCN members work.
Any future strikes would involve more than twice as many nursing staff at twice as many locations, said the RCN.
To achieve a country-wide mandate, 50% of all eligible members must vote and the majority must say “yes” to strike action.
The ballot will close on June 23, with the result expected to be announced the following week.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: “Once again, we have been forced to ask our members if they want to take to the picket lines in their fight for fair pay. This is unfinished business and the Government can get it resolved without the need for more strike action.
(PA Graphics)
“Ministers have tried to silence them through the courts as well as in Parliament but we will continue to make sure their voice is heard through the corridors of power.
“The NHS is fraying at the edges. To improve care and address the shortage, Government must bring more people into nursing and keep them there by paying staff fairly.”
Most health unions in England have accepted a 5% pay rise for this year and a cash payment for last year.
Members of the RCN and Unite voted to reject the offer.
Downing Street insisted the Government had made its final offer on pay.
A No 10 spokesman said: “We have offered a fair and generous deal that the RCN themselves recommended to its members and subsequently accepted by the majority of other unions via the NHS staff council.
“We continue to think it’s important that all unions recognise that collective decision and it should be respected.”
The spokesman said Rishi Sunak recognised nurses do “incredible work”, but “what we don’t want to see is patient care impacted any more than it has been with these strikes”.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We hugely value the work of nurses and it is disappointing the RCN is balloting their members for further industrial action.
“The majority of unions on the NHS Staff Council voted to accept the Government’s fair and reasonable pay offer – which includes a double-digit pay rise of 10.7% over two years for newly qualified nurses.
“We hope RCN members recognise this is a fair deal and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.”
'Unfinished business': Nurses among hundreds of thousands of workers to vote on further strike action
Sky News
Mon, May 22, 2023
Almost 300,000 nurses will start voting today on whether to continue strikes in their long-running battle over pay and staffing.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing in England are being asked to renew their mandate for industrial action until the end of the year.
The RCN says members should vote to continue strikes as this will increase pressure on ministers to improve the pay offer that was rejected in April.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: "Once again, we have been forced to ask our members if they want to take to the picket lines in their fight for fair pay.
"This is unfinished business and the government can get it resolved without the need for more strike action.
"Ministers have tried to silence them through the courts as well as in parliament but we will continue to make sure their voice is heard through the corridors of power.
"The NHS is fraying at the edges. To improve care and address the shortage, government must bring more people into nursing and keep them there by paying staff fairly."
In the new ballot, the union will seek a country-wide mandate, allowing strikes in every NHS trust or NHS employer in England with RCN members.
For this, at least 50% of eligible members must vote and the majority must want strike action.
Read more:
Nurses could be on strike 'up until Christmas', says Royal College of Nursing
Couple fear strike by nurses could be a 'matter of life and death'
Hospitals brace themselves for 'exceptionally low' staff numbers as nurses prepare to strike over bank holiday
The ballot closes on 23 June, with the result expected in the following week.
The government has said there will be no improvement to the pay offer made in April, with a No 10 spokesman saying: "We have offered a fair and generous deal that the RCN themselves recommended to its members and subsequently accepted by the majority of other unions via the NHS staff council.
"We continue to think it's important that all unions recognise that collective decision and it should be respected."
Also today, a six-week ballot opens for more than 300,000 council and school support staff in England and Wales on whether they should also strike over pay.
The union, Unison, has called for a pay increase of 2% above inflation, claiming that since 2010 the value of local government pay has fallen by 25%.
The ballot is open to workers such as refuse collectors, social workers, teaching assistants, and librarians, with another ballot opening for Northern Ireland in August.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: "These workers are truly dedicated but they've had enough. Going on strike is a huge step that isn't taken lightly but many feel they have to make a stand.
"Employers can do far better, but ministers also need to step up to make sure local government is given the funding it needs, so staff get a decent wage and services are protected."
Sky News
Mon, May 22, 2023
Almost 300,000 nurses will start voting today on whether to continue strikes in their long-running battle over pay and staffing.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing in England are being asked to renew their mandate for industrial action until the end of the year.
The RCN says members should vote to continue strikes as this will increase pressure on ministers to improve the pay offer that was rejected in April.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: "Once again, we have been forced to ask our members if they want to take to the picket lines in their fight for fair pay.
"This is unfinished business and the government can get it resolved without the need for more strike action.
"Ministers have tried to silence them through the courts as well as in parliament but we will continue to make sure their voice is heard through the corridors of power.
"The NHS is fraying at the edges. To improve care and address the shortage, government must bring more people into nursing and keep them there by paying staff fairly."
In the new ballot, the union will seek a country-wide mandate, allowing strikes in every NHS trust or NHS employer in England with RCN members.
For this, at least 50% of eligible members must vote and the majority must want strike action.
Read more:
Nurses could be on strike 'up until Christmas', says Royal College of Nursing
Couple fear strike by nurses could be a 'matter of life and death'
Hospitals brace themselves for 'exceptionally low' staff numbers as nurses prepare to strike over bank holiday
The ballot closes on 23 June, with the result expected in the following week.
The government has said there will be no improvement to the pay offer made in April, with a No 10 spokesman saying: "We have offered a fair and generous deal that the RCN themselves recommended to its members and subsequently accepted by the majority of other unions via the NHS staff council.
"We continue to think it's important that all unions recognise that collective decision and it should be respected."
Also today, a six-week ballot opens for more than 300,000 council and school support staff in England and Wales on whether they should also strike over pay.
The union, Unison, has called for a pay increase of 2% above inflation, claiming that since 2010 the value of local government pay has fallen by 25%.
The ballot is open to workers such as refuse collectors, social workers, teaching assistants, and librarians, with another ballot opening for Northern Ireland in August.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: "These workers are truly dedicated but they've had enough. Going on strike is a huge step that isn't taken lightly but many feel they have to make a stand.
"Employers can do far better, but ministers also need to step up to make sure local government is given the funding it needs, so staff get a decent wage and services are protected."
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