Britain faces biggest ever health strikes as pay row drags on | – #Britain #faces #biggest #health #strikes #pay #row #drags
LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of nurses and emergency workers are growing with the government labour further disrupting a health care system already strained by the rights dispute, Britain faces the biggest strike by medical workers on Monday.
Nurses and emergency workers have been on separate strike since late last year, but Monday is the day both take part, mainly in England. National It will be the biggest event in the 75-year history of the NHS.
Stephen Powis, Britain’s top doctor, said this week’s strike action by physiotherapists on Thursday was likely to be the most disruptive yet.
Health workers are demanding a pay rise that reflects Britain’s worst inflation in 40 years, which the government says will be unaffordable and lead to more price rises, which in turn will push up interest rates and mortgage payments.
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Around 500,000 workers, mostly in the public sector, have been on strike since last summer, which Prime Minister It adds to the pressure on Rishi Sunak to settle disputes and limit cuts to public services such as railways and schools.
Asked by Sky News whether the strikes would put lives at risk, business minister Grant Shapps said he was “concerned” by the lack of co-operation between emergency services such as the military and striking workers. .
“The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has very responsibly … told the NHS that this is where we will be on holiday and they will be able to put the cover in place for emergencies. Unfortunately, we have seen a situation. Where the emergency services refuse to provide this information,” he said.
Emergency responders denied Shapps’ claim.
Unite union leader Sharon Graham told the BBC on Sunday that she wanted Sunak to come to the negotiating table, accusing the government of lying about emergency workers.
“This government is risking its life,” he said.
The NHS, historically a source of pride for most Britons, has millions on waiting lists for operations sick and thousands every month sick He is under extreme pressure because he can’t get an emergency ambulance.
A decade of poor pay has led to tens of thousands of nurses leaving the profession – 25,000 in the past year alone – the RCN says. sick with severe staff shortages affecting maintenance.
The RCN initially asked for a 5% above-inflation pay rise and has since said it could meet the government “halfway”, but the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement despite weeks of talks.
Meanwhile, thousands of emergency workers, represented by the GMB and Unite unions, are also set to strike on Monday in their own pay dispute. Both unions have announced industrial action for a few more days.
Not all emergency workers will be on strike at the same time and emergency calls will not be answered.
Nurses and some emergency workers in Wales have called off planned strikes for Monday as they consider the Welsh Government’s pay proposals.
In an interview with TalkTV last week, Sunak said he would “love to give nurses a big pay rise” but said the government faced tough choices and medical said it funded the NHS in other areas, such as providing equipment and ambulances.
Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; Added by Elizabeth Piper report; Edited by Jason Neely
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2023-02-05 20:37:42
Source – reuters
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