A movement that promises to be historic. In a tense social context, British nurses will go on strike on December 15 and 20, announced the union Royal College of Nurses (RCN) Friday 25 November. “The nurses have had enough”, summarized Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the union. These two days of mobilization, voted after “the rejection of negotiations on the part of the government”will be a first in the union’s 106 years of existence.
“Enough of the low salaries, (…) enough of not being able to give patients the care they deserve.”
Pat Cullen, union general secretaryat AFP
According to estimates, the real salary of nurses has fallen by 20% since 2010, in particular due to the current crisis in the cost of living, with inflation exceeding 11%. “People are increasingly irritated by the cosmetic measures announced by employers and the government,” said Pat Cullen.
47,000 nursing positions are unfilled
The annual salary of a junior nurse is 27,000 gross pounds (31,400 euros). But for Health Minister Steve Barclay, “It’s a difficult time for everyone” and the government cannot meet the demands “unaffordable” of the RCN, which “represent a salary increase of 19.2%”. This strike comes as the public health system (NHS), underfunded for years, is plunged into a serious crisis.
The government has announced an increase in the NHS budget of £3.3billion next year and the year after. According to the RCN, in England, 47,000 nursing positions are unfilled. Last year, 25,000 nurses or midwives who worked in the public slammed the door. “Poor pay contributes to staff shortages across the UK, which affects patient safety”, denounces the union. More than 7 million people are waiting for treatment in English hospitals, a record high.