British nurses to stage strikes on Dec 15, 20

MEDICS STRIKE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UNION’S 106-YEAR HISTORY

Thousands of British nurses will go on strike on December 15 and 20 for more pay, their union said yesterday, adding to a winter of industrial action and putting further pressure on the state-run health system.

The strikes are the first of possibly several walkouts by National Health Service (NHS) nurses, which come after the government refused to meet demands for pay rises of 5 per cent above inflation.

“Nursing staff have had enough of being taken for granted, enough of low pay and unsafe staffing levels, enough of not being able to give our patients the care they deserve,” Royal College of Nursing (RCN) General Secretary Pat Cullen said.

Declined formal negotiations

Cullen said the government had declined formal negotiations in the two weeks since the RCN announced nurses would go on strike for the first time in the union’s 106-year history.

The strikes will add to pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as Britain faces a looming economic recession and a costof-living crisis with inflation reaching a 41-year-high of 11.1 per cent in October.

The NHS, which has provided health care free at the point of use since 1948, is now dealing with a record 7 million patients on waiting lists for hospital treatment. Accident and emergency departments are also under strain.