Radiologists are the latest group of NHS workers to reject the government’s pay raise and are now voted to go on strike.
In an advisory vote that ended on Tuesday, more than 80% of the Society of Radiologists (SoR) members working for the NHS in England rejected the proposal. About 65 percent responded, representing the association’s highest turnout in the history of non-voting voting. The union said voting would open in June.
The federation is a union representing professional radiologists and other personnel involved in medical imaging such as x-rays, computed tomography, mammography and radiotherapy. About 95 percent of patients see a radiologist during diagnosis and treatment. A strike by these employees would cause a massive disruption to the entire system, further complicating the Trusts’ ability to eliminate patient queues.
Leandre Archer, head of industrial relations at SvR, said: “Our members have spoken out and it is clear that they will not agree to another real pay cut. The latter proposal cannot offset the growing pressure of the cost-of-living crisis they are currently experiencing and is less than half the rate of inflation. The figures show that food inflation is growing three times faster than wages. Five percent cannot be considered fair and generous.
“Radiologists have had to contend with a growing number of vacancies and labor shortages, combined with an increase in workload in recent years. This resulted in them working too many hours with limited flexible work options, leading to burnout and exhaustion.
“Many people leave the profession because they cannot work in such conditions. Our members have seen first hand the increasing discharge times and the deteriorating condition of patients on long waiting lists throughout the service, and now they have said enough is enough.
“The government should resume negotiations and come up with a much better offer to avoid strikes.”
The pay raise offer to key unions involved in the NHS strikes in England includes a 5% pay rise and a lump sum payment of up to 6% this year until the end of union action months. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) recently rejected the proposal 54% to 46% and immediately announced a new round of strikes starting at 20:00 on 30 April.
Health Minister Steve Barclay is suing the RCN after an appeal from NHS employers who say the 48-hour strike exceeds the union’s six-month mandate. The government and unions will meet each other in the Supreme Court on Thursday.
In an email to members working for the NHS in England, RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen vowed to “stand up” in court against government “hooligans”. However, she confirmed that MPs would not be asked to strike on May 2 if the court ruled in favor of the government.
“If the government manages to silence members like you and convince the court to stop part of our strike, we will have no choice but to cancel it,” she said. “Our strike has always been safe and legal. We will never ask our members to do anything unsafe or contrary to your code of ethics.”
The Royal College of Midwives is due to announce the results of its vote on Wednesday, and unions Unite and GMB are expected to do the same at the end of the month. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of Unison members voted in favor of the wage proposal, with 26 percent rejecting it.
Mr Barclay said he would not reopen talks and that the government could decide to impose a pay increase agreement on about a million NHS workers once the full results of the union vote are announced.
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.