Unions
UK nurses vote on taking first strike action in 106 years
The United Kingdom’s Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is balloting over 300,000 of its members working in the country’s National Health Service (NHS) about taking strike action for the first time in College’s 106 year history.
The ballot is in protest against a proposed pay increase of 5%, which is less than half of the current British inflation rate of 10.1%.
While government ministers have indicated that the proposed pay rise constitutes a salary increase of £1,400 per annum for frontline workers, the College has argued that the proposal does not keep up with the ever-climbing cost of living crisis biting British households.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, has indicated that pay rises above inflation are needed to stem ongoing staffing shortages in the NHS.
“We are understaffed, undervalued and underpaid,” she said. “This is a once in a generation chance to improve your pay and combat the staff shortages that put patients at risk.”
“Governments have repeatedly neglected the NHS and the value of nursing. We can change this if together we say ‘enough is enough’.”
The Guardian has reported that nurses working in the NHS have resorted to skipping meals or taking second jobs to make ends meet. Others have simply left the NHS to work higher paying jobs in other industries.
“[The Government] needs to give [nurses] a decent wage so they can look after their families, pay their bills,” Cullen argued.
“We’re just asking for a decent wage for our nursing staff so they can continue to do the brilliant job they do everyday for their patients, and so that we can absolutely retain the staff that we’ve got.”
The RCN has indicated that life-preserving care will continue to be provided in the event that strike action proceeds.
The ballot closes 2 November (GMT).