Strike for more wages
English medical specialists discontinue routine care
7/20/2023 5:27 p.m
It could be the most momentous labor dispute that the English health system has ever experienced: Specialists want to bring routine care in the country to a standstill for 48 hours. Premier Sunak declared the protest futile in advance.
In the course of the day, a strike by specialists began in English hospitals. The walkout could have the “most serious impact” the NHS has ever seen as a result of a labor dispute in Britain, said NHS Medical Director Stephen Powis. Routine care will “virtually come to a standstill” during the strike planned for 48 hours. In addition to the specialist appointments, the supervision of the young doctors by the experienced doctors is also canceled.
The medical specialists are calling for a “credible salary offer” after wage increases had been below the rate of inflation for years. According to the BMA doctors’ union, the real wages of specialists have fallen by 35 percent since 2008. British specialists earn the equivalent of between around 101,000 and 137,000 euros annually. They have already announced a second strike for August 24th and 25th.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on medical specialists to call off their strike. He reiterated that the state’s offer of a five to seven percent pay rise in the public sector was “final.” No amount of strike, no matter how extensive, will change the government’s decision, Sunak added. Inflation in the country is currently just under eight percent.
For months, protests by medical staff have resulted in delayed treatment and canceled appointments for hundreds of thousands of patients. Just last week, the “junior doctors” in England began another strike lasting several days. Nursing, service and specialist staff in hospitals have also joined the protest actions for better working conditions in recent months.