Junior doctors to strike for three more days in June after demanding 49 PER CENT pay rise
Young doctors to strike for another three days in June as union leaders threaten to strike all summer after demanding a 49 percent pay rise
Trainee doctors will strike for at least three days every month in the summer after new wage negotiations with the government failed when they raised their wage demands to 49 percent.
The British Medical Association (BMA), which was demanding a 35 per cent pay rise, said the government’s offer of 5 per cent – which was also offered to nurses and paramedics – lacked ‘credibility’.
The junior doctors will now be out for 72 hours from 7 a.m. Wednesday, June 14 to 7 a.m. Saturday, June 17.
But a Health Ministry source said the union had “unrealistic expectations” and not only “refused to change” during the negotiations, but “actually demanded more.”
Clearly, BMA negotiators have proposed a multi-year settlement that would give physicians below the rank of consultant a 49 percent boost between 2021 and 2024, The Times reports.
The British Medical Association (BMA), which demanded a 35 per cent pay rise, said the government’s offer of 5 per cent lacked ‘credibility’.
Dr. Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson (pictured), co-chairs of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, said they have had three weeks of negotiations with the government since their last strikes in April.
The strikes are likely to undermine efforts to tackle record waiting lists and keep patients waiting longer for care.
More than half a million appointments and surgeries have so far been canceled due to NHS industrial action by doctors, nurses and paramedics, among others.
Trainee doctors went on a four-day strike in April and a three-day strike in March, canceling 370,000 appointments and surgeries.
Around a million NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract, including most employees except doctors and dentists, have accepted an offer of a 5 per cent raise and a one-off bonus payment.
Dr. Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, said they have been negotiating with the government for three weeks since their last strikes in April.
They added: ‘The talks have now reached a stage where they are currently unproductive.
“Accordingly, we are in a position where we need to call new industrial action.
“If the government does not change its position, we will strike all summer.
“This means that for the duration of our mandate, we will call at least three action days for union actions every month.”
The pair said they still hope to meet Health Secretary Steve Barclay (pictured) on Wednesday for talks, but ministry sources say there will be no further meetings until the strikes are called off.
The strikes are likely to undermine efforts to tackle record waiting lists and keep patients waiting longer for care
The pair said they still hope to meet Health Secretary Steve Barclay for talks on Wednesday, but ministry sources say there will be no further meetings until the strikes are called off.
A government spokesman said: ‘It is both surprising and deeply disappointing that the BMA Junior Doctors Committee has declared further strike action while constructive talks have been underway.
‘These will be hugely disruptive to patients and put pressure on other NHS staff.
“We made a fair and reasonable opening offer and were in active discussions on both wage and non-wage issues.
“Unfortunately, it appears that the BMA is unwilling to meaningfully waive their prohibitive demands on pay.
“The government has made it clear that strikes must be suspended while talks take place, so while the BMA has chosen to end our current discussions, we remain ready to continue them at any time if strikes are called off.”
The Royal College of Nursing is launching a new vote on union action on Tuesday.