Young doctors in England have been asked to join a mass strike next month to fight for pay and benefits.
Teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, railroad workers, bus workers, university professors, civil servants, firefighters and border guards are among those sectors that are already on strike against real wage cuts due to rising inflation.
The British Medical Association (BMA) also voted among some 45,000 young doctors in England on whether they should also go on strike – the results were published on February 20.
If the vote is successful and requires a turnout of 50 percent of eligible voters, doctors will begin their action in March with a full 72-hour strike.
Dr Mike Greenhalgh, deputy co-chair of the British Medical Association’s junior physicians’ committee, said the medics would “probably” leave on wages and conditions, but he hoped negotiations between the union and the government would help avoid that.
Mr Greenhalgh told Sky News: “We were pushed into this as a last resort and we still want to avoid it if possible. But, unfortunately, I think it is very likely.
“We have seen in the strikes of our other colleagues in the healthcare sector that, unfortunately, they had consequences.
“Preventing this is a gift from the government. Our door is open, we will meet with them today, tomorrow, this week and maybe we can avoid it.
Physicians below the consultant level will drop out if the vote is successful.
A small number of young doctors, represented by the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA), have already voted to strike.
Last month, 97.48% of HSA members supported the strikes.
The union has not yet set a date for the strike, but said it would agree on the “time and form” of the strike in coordination with other health workers’ unions.
Young doctors will not receive a pay raise from the NHS this year as they have a multi-year pay contract that expires in March and gives them a 2 percent increase for 2022/2023.
Physicians’ salaries have indeed fallen over the past 15 years – corresponding to a 26.1 percent drop in wages since 2008/09, according to the BMA.
Thousands of nurses from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) GMB and Unite joined paramedics, call attendants and other staff in Monday’s ambulance strike.
There will also be a nurses’ strike on Tuesday and an ambulance strike on Friday.
Physiotherapists will intervene on Thursday.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.