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Nurses are now also on strike in the UK. They demand higher wages – and encounter resistance.
Railway industry, postal service – and now also the nursing staff: the wave of strikes in Great Britain is spreading. The nurses of the British health service NHS stand up for higher wages and better working conditions.
For the first time in its history, the Royal College of Nursing called on tens of thousands of members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to stop working for twelve hours on Thursday morning.
Legend:
British nurses have had enough.
Keystone/APPA/PETER POWELL
“The strikes are quite drastic,” says SRF correspondent Patrik Wülser in London. By the end of December, quite a lot of what “makes public life or public services” could come to a standstill. In concrete terms, this means, for example: the dispatch of parcels, train journeys – and now also services in the health sector.
Nurses don’t want to let anyone down
As the DPA news agency writes, around a quarter of hospitals in England are affected by the strike. According to the Secretary of State for Health Maria Caulfield, around 70,000 appointments, treatments and operations in the largest part of Britain are to be cancelled.
Is the health care of the population in Great Britain at risk? Wülser puts it into perspective: “The nurses assure that medical emergencies will also be treated during the strike and that nobody will be left in the lurch.” However, the fact is that thousands of treatments and operations will be postponed in the coming days.
British health system on hold
The British healthcare system is in a deep crisis, which has become more acute because of Corona. “The state health system has been at a standstill for years. It is chronically underfunded and overwhelmed,” emphasizes Wülser.
The public health system has been at a standstill for years. It is chronically underfunded and overstretched.
In the health sector, savings have been made for a long time. Accordingly, the conservative central government in London rejects the workers’ demand for a salary increase of 19 percent as unaffordable. According to its own statements, it has submitted an offer that is in line with the recommendation of an independent body.
In Scotland, meanwhile, the union had reached an agreement with the regional government at short notice. Emergencies should be treated despite the walkout. The military should step in to drive ambulances, for example – but not in emergency situations.
government is under pressure
In the middle of the Christmas season, railway employees also go on strike. “They also want more wages,” explains Wülser. Inflation is currently 11 percent and food prices have risen accordingly. “They want wages to be adjusted to this rise in prices,” he explains.
If there is a strike, the offer is automatically reduced. The population feels this most of all. How great is the understanding of the British for the labor disputes? Wülser: “Unsurprisingly big so far. Polls show that.” It is clear that the government has come under extreme pressure because of the strikes. However, the latter rejects the blame and shifts the responsibility to the trade unions. What remains are angry debates in Parliament, a tightrope walk by the workforce – and a lot of uncertainty in the current Christmas season.