Nurses in strike deadline

THE Royal College of Nursing wants “detailed negotiations” on pay “in the next five days” or it will announce strike dates for December.

The RCN is calling for a pay rise of 5% above inflation, with general secretary Pat Cullen saying the Chancellor has demonstrated that “the government remains unprepared to give my members the support they need at work and at home”.

In a letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay, she added: “Unless our next meeting is formal pay negotiations we will be announcing the dates and locations of our strike action.”