Latest nurses strike ‘disrespectful’ to other health unions, says minister
A strike by UK nurses is “premature and disrespectful” to other unions, Health Secretary Steve Berkley said Sunday, sparking a dispute between the government and health workers over wages and working conditions. is intensifying.
The strike by members of the Royal College of Nursing will begin at 8pm on Sunday night and end at 11:59pm on May 1st. Salary increase for fiscal year 2023-24.
Barclay criticized the RCN’s decision to launch further strike action ahead of Tuesday’s meeting of the NHS Staff Council, which includes representatives from 14 unions and oversees NHS salaries, criticizing the government’s ” Asked to consider a “fair and reasonable” salary proposal.
“This is the agreement that Pat Cullen herself has recommended to her members, and which was reached after days of negotiations with a fair and reasonable solution,” he said, referring to the GMB and Royal Midwifery. He pointed out that other health unions, such as the hospital, supported the government’s agreement.
“The NHS Staff Council will meet to vote on whether to accept the agreement we negotiated with them. I think it is right to wait for the NHS Staff Council to make that decision. I think it’s premature and disrespectful to the trade unions who meet on Tuesday.”
The latest action by the RCN comes at a time when other public sector unions are stepping up their strike action after rejecting government deals for better wages and working conditions.
Pat Cullen, RCN General Secretary © REUTERS
Teachers, represented by the National Education Union, are due to leave on May 2nd, but the four major UK education unions (NEU, National Association of Principals, Association of School and University Leaders and NASUWT) made threats last week. I was. A coordinated strike action where you can watch over 300,000 teachers take down the tools.
Meanwhile, civil servants represented by the Prospect union will leave on May 10 and June 7.
Health leaders and ministers have expressed concern about the potential impact of the 28-hour strike by nurses on patient safety. The strike will affect her 125 NHS trusts, including nurses working in intensive care units, cancer care and emergency departments for the first time.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen argued Sunday that the union would never “endanger patients or create more risk.”
“National exemptions apply for truly acute emergency services such as emergency departments, intensive care units, neonatal wards and pediatric intensive care units,” Cullen said. sky news.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper accused striking railroad workers of targeting the Eurovision Song Contest © Getty Images
Despite the easing, England’s chief nursing officer, Dame Ruth May, warned that health services were likely to be severely disrupted over bank holidays.
“The industrial action will still have a huge impact on services during the strike period, and patients are expected to wait longer for treatment,” she said.
Meanwhile, the general secretary of the train drivers’ union, Asref, criticized the transportation secretary on Sunday after denouncing railroad workers going on strike on May 12, May 31 and June 3. contests and other events.
Harper told Sky News: “President Vladimir Putin has specifically targeted Ukrainian railways, killing hundreds of railway workers. I would have preferred to be in solidarity with them rather than target the contest.”
Athref General Secretary Mick Whelan called the minister’s comments “absurd”, adding:
