London, Europe Brief News – Up to 80,000 health workers across England have voted to go on strike before Christmas.
The decision came in protest against pay and staffing levels in what is believed to be their biggest stoppage in the NHS’s history.
The RCN said it had been given no choice after ministers refused to reopen talks. The health secretary, Steve Barclay, said the health workers’ demands were not affordable, adding that he “deeply regretted” union members would be taking action.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The decision to take action and lose a day’s pay is always a tough call. It’s especially challenging for those whose jobs involve caring and saving lives.
“But thousands of ambulance staff and their NHS colleagues know delays won’t lessen, nor waiting times reduce, until the government acts on wages. That’s why they’ve taken the difficult decision to strike.
“Patients will always come first and emergency cover will be available during any strike. But unless NHS pay and staffing get fixed, services and care will continue to decline.
“The public knows health services won’t improve without huge increases in staffing and wants the government to pay up to save the NHS. It’s high time ministers stopped using the pay review body as cover for their inaction.
“Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak and Steve Barclay must roll up their sleeves and start talking to unions about how better wages for staff can help start to turn the NHS around.”
