In an unprecedented one-day strike on Thursday, UK nurses walked out in support of improved pay and working conditions, calling it their “final resort.” Up to 100,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland rejected a government pay offer, who will be on strike from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM GMT.
The RCN’s strike is just one of the numerous waves of work stoppages by employees in the public and commercial sectors.
In the 106-year existence of the Royal College of Nursing union, this is the first strike.
“We have not chosen industrial action lightly. We’re tired. We’re fed up,” a senior nurse told AFP. “We need a pay rise now to make a living.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed that anti-strike laws will “protect lives and livelihoods”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed that anti-strike laws will be brought in “to protect lives and livelihoods”.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Sunak stated that he was preparing for a confrontation with union officials and expressed his hope that they would recognize the injustice of destroying Christmas.
“I would really hope that union leaders can see that it’s not right to cause such misery and disruption to so many people, particularly at Christmas time,” he said.
He asserted that his government is acting “fairly and decently,” as seen by their adoption of all of an independent pay body’s recommendations and that they will keep doing so.
However, he added “I’m prepared to introduce new legislation next year to protect people’s lives and minimize the disruption on their livelihoods. And that’s something we are working on at pace.”
Ministers are reportedly discussing the introduction of “minimum service levels” in important industries and a potential ban on strikes by emergency personnel.
Nurses organize a walkout
However, as nurses organize a walkout, hospital trusts and unions are still in negotiations on how the quality of service will be maintained. The paramedics who will be on strike the next week, according to Downing Street, have been urged to promise that emergency calls will be answered.