LONDON — UK nurses on Thursday staged an unprecedented one-day strike in a battle for higher wages and dealing situations, regardless of warnings sufferers could possibly be put in danger.
Up to 100,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland stopped work from 0800 to 2000 GMT after rejecting a pay deal.
The RCN’s industrial motion—the primary in its 106-year historical past—is a part of a surging wave of stoppages by private and non-private sector workers as spiraling inflation outstrips wages progress.
Outside St Thomas’ Hospital in central London, nurses on picket traces chanted slogans and held aloft placards urging “Pay us our worth” and “It’s time to pay nursing staff fairly.”
They have been joined by England’s chief nursing officer Ruth May, in response to The Times.
At Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool, northwest England, one nurse stated placing was “the only way we can put our point across.”
“The public need to understand the pressures that everyone’s under,” stated Pamela Jones, who has been a nurse for 32 years.
“You’ve only got to come to A&E [accident and emergency] to see the queues, there’s no beds.”
Another employees nurse, Kelly Hopkins, added: “There are more and more nurses using the food bank, which is just not acceptable.
“They’re coming in chilly, they are going with out good meals to feed their youngsters. It’s simply loopy.”
‘Tragic’
Union leaders said nurses were overworked due to staff shortages, as the state-run National Health Service battles a growing backlog for appointments and treatment made worse by the pandemic.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said it was a “tragic day” for nurses, patients and the NHS that they had to take such action.
She said there were currently 50,000 vacant nursing posts and more needed to be done to stop staff leaving for better-paid jobs in supermarkets and retail.
“It’s as much as the federal government. They have a duty to deal with these vacant nursing posts and cease the drain out of our occupation,” said Cullen.
“They want to try this by paying nurses a good wage.”
The RCN wants a pay rise significantly above inflation, which surged to a 41-year high of 11.1 percent in October, falling slightly to 10.7 percent last month.
Cullen said that would redress an effective 20-percent wage cut for nurses in real terms over the last decade.
The government maintains the demands are unaffordable and Health Secretary Steve Barclay called the strikes “deeply regrettable.”
Barclay insisted he was open to talks on wider issues but not on the pay offer, which was recommended by an independent review body.
The NHS Pay Review Body recommended a pay rise of at least £1,400 ($1,740) on top of a 3.0 percent increase last year, he said.
“Further pay will increase would imply taking cash away from frontline providers at a time once we are tackling document ready lists because of the pandemic,” he added.
Long hours
The RCN has said chemotherapy, dialysis, intensive care and high-dependency units, as well as neonatal and pediatric intensive care will be protected.
But other services will be reduced to Christmas staffing levels during the walk-out.
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said NHS trusts were “pulling out all of the stops” to lessen the impact on patients.
“The image will range throughout the nation as (hospital) belief leaders work out service ranges with unions regionally,” she added.
Health minister Maria Caulfield said some 70,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries will be lost in England due to the walk-out, with thousands more elsewhere.
Caulfield—a qualified nurse and RCN member—accepted pay was an issue but told Times Radio it was “smaller” compared to others such as long working hours.
The main opposition Labour party leader Keir Starmer called the strike a “badge of disgrace” for the ruling Conservative authorities.
Another walk-out is due subsequent Tuesday. — AFP
