Latest news with #strikeAction
South China Morning Post
08-07-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Junior doctors' vote to strike, threatening Britain's hospitals amid pay dispute
Junior doctors in England have voted in favour of taking strike action, their trade union said on Tuesday, threatening Britain's hospitals once again with disruption just as the government said it had started to improve services. Junior doctors, also known as resident doctors, voted for industrial action after they were offered an average 5.4 per cent pay rise by the government, far below the 29 per cent they say is necessary to address years of salary erosion in real terms. The fresh threat of strikes comes after the doctors accepted a 22 per cent pay rise last year covering 2023 to 2025, ending months of previous disruptive strikes. Junior doctors say that due to the long-term erosion of their pay and after several years of high inflation, they still need a 29 per cent rise this year to help restore it to levels last seen in 2008. 'Doctors have spoken and spoken clearly: they won't accept that they are worth a fifth less than they were in 2008,' said Melissa Ryan and Ross Nieuwoudt, the co-chairs of the British Medical Association's (BMA) resident doctors' committee. The mandate allowed industrial action to take place until January, but the BMA said there was 'still time to avert' it.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Wes Streeting warns junior doctors that going on strike for six months over pay would 'choke' NHS recovery - as poll shows public support plummeting
Wes Streeting warned junior doctors today that strike action would 'choke' the recovery of the NHS as he urged them to vote against a walk out in a row over pay. The Health Secretary squared up to the British Medical Association as a new poll suggested support for industrial action by medicals is falling. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, in England are being balloted by the BMA for strike action which could last for six months. They are demanding a further 30 per cent uplift despite seeing their wages jump by 22.3 per cent last year. They have crippled the NHS by taking industrial action 11 times since 2022, forcing health bosses to cancel an estimated 1.5million appointments. But the British Medical Association is now threatening further walkouts unless Mr Streeting caves in again. But analysis by YouGov found that 48 per cent of Britons oppose the industrial action, while 39 per cent support it . YouGov said this 'marks a shift in opinion' of public support of striking junior doctors last summer, when the majority of Britons – 52 per cent – said they supported it. Writing in the Times, Mr Streeting said: 'We can't afford to return to a continuous cycle of stand-offs, strikes, and cancellations. 'Strikes should always be a last resort, and I don't think they are in anyone's interest today. 'I'm appealing to resident doctors to vote 'No' in the ballot, and instead continue the progress we've made, working together to rebuild our NHS.' Resident doctors said their pay has declined by '23 per cent in real terms since 2008'. If they choose to go on strike then walkouts could begin in July and could potentially last until January 2026. The Government accepted salary recommendations from pay review bodies earlier this month, resulting in an average 5.4 per cent rise for resident doctors. Writing for the newspaper, Mr Streeting stressed that 'we can't lose momentum', adding: 'There's so much more to do. But my message to anyone working in the health service is this: Stick with us. 'The NHS was broken, but it's not beaten. If we keep pulling together, we can turn it around.' A leading patients' organisation said it was 'deeply concerned' about the prospect of strike action over the busy winter period in the NHS. The Patients Association highlighted how previous strike action from doctors in training led to 1.3 million appointments, procedures and operations being postponed, with the true figure 'likely to be much higher'. BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said in a statement: 'Patients are all too aware how much the NHS relies on its resident doctors. 'With the announcement of yesterday's ballot, many will understandably be concerned about how future strike action might affect them getting care but it's important to stress that strike action is not inevitable and can be avoided. 'The Government has the power to honour its previous commitment to map out and restore doctors' pay, avoiding strikes entirely. 'We're confident that patients will recognise that the value of doctors has not diminished since 2008, but that working conditions and pay have. 'Wes Streeting must now step forward with a solution that allows us to stay with our patients, off the picket lines, and remain in this country rather than being driven to seek work abroad where doctors' unique skills and expertise are more appropriately valued. 'As the population ages and care becomes more complex, we need to make sure we retain doctors in the UK.' The ballot will close on July 7.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Junior doctors are losing public's support over latest strike threat, poll reveals
JUNIOR doctors are losing the public's support over their latest strike threat, polling has shown. The hospital medics have this week started a ballot for a fresh wave of walkouts after being offered 5.4 per cent extra pay — despite getting a 22 per cent rise last year. 2 But public support for strikes has fallen from 52 per cent last summer to 39 per cent, in what pollsters from YouGov called a 'shift in opinion'. The British Medical Association called ministers' latest offer woefully inadequate. It says members will not wait for a stronger economy to get another bumper rise. More than a million appointments were cancelled in the last industrial action in 2023 and 2024. Rachel Power, chair of the Patients Association, said: 'More than 1.3million appointments were cancelled or rescheduled due to previous strike action and the total is likely to be much higher. 'It causes significant distress, pain and worsening health for patients, while placing additional pressure on remaining NHS staff. 'We respect resident doctors' right to take industrial action and we urgently call on the BMA and Government to intensify meaningful negotiations before the ballot closes on July 7. 'Patients have already suffered too much.' BMA leaders Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said: 'Many will understandably be concerned about how future strike action might affect their care but it's important to stress that strike action is not inevitable and can be avoided. 'We're confident that patients will recognise that the value of doctors has not diminished since 2008, but that working conditions and pay have. ' Wes Streeting must now step forward with a solution.' Junior doctors branded 'irresponsible and dangerous' as they stage 11th strike with 5-day walkout 2
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
How long will Streeting hold out against the most militant union in the land?
Militant trade union action has become far less commonplace than it used to be. But one organisation remains as hard line as ever: the British Medical Association (BMA). It sent out ballot papers this week to junior doctors urging them to back strike action in support of a 25 per cent pay demand. Now known as 'resident' medics, they are threatening months of disruption despite seeing their pay jump by 29 per cent in just three years. During a recent protracted dispute they stopped work 11 times and forced the cancellation of an estimated 1.5 million appointments. It is unconscionable that the BMA is now prepared to inflict further misery on the public, most of whom have not seen anything like the pay rises enjoyed by its members. The doctors profess to cherish the NHS, yet by their actions they cut away at its ability to cope with financial and population pressures. When appointments are cancelled or operations postponed, patients have to go back to square one, often involving another trip to a GP for their treatment to be rescheduled. How many drop out at that point? The backlog of cases remains above seven million with no chance of a significant reduction if there is another dispute. The public, who might have had some sympathy for the doctors in the past, have evidently lost patience judging by recent opinion polls. Labour has made a rod for its own back by giving inflation-busting pay rises to others in the public sector. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, made much of the Tory failure to settle this dispute when he was in opposition. Now the boot is on the other foot. How long will he hold out against the most militant union in the land?
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
No-confidence vote in University of Lincoln bosses is passed
A union representing academics has passed a vote of no confidence in the senior leadership team at the University of Owen Clayton, branch chair of the University and College Union (UGU), said a ballot on strike action was also being comes after the university announced in April that nearly 300 jobs were at risk.A spokesperson for the university said there was a "clear vision and plan" amid the financial pressures facing UK universities. The union branch represents all 1,500 academic staff at the university, whether they are members or not, said Dr said the vote of no confidence was in response to "the direction the university is going in and the decisions that have been made".He added: "They are talking about cutting up to 285 jobs... but they are also talking about changing the nature of the university, saying that certain parts of the university don't matter anymore and we can get rid of them."He said the cuts would fall across a number of areas, including the Lincoln International Business School, the history department and the Eleanor Glanville Institute – an equality, diversity and inclusion institute that works to inform policies and practices at the the ballot, the union called on the university's board of governors to act."We want [them] to do something because the staff don't have confidence in their leaders anymore," Dr Clayton described the relationship with university leadership as "acrimonious" but added that the dispute would end if compulsory redundancies were ruled out."If they don't, we could be looking at strike action over the summer but also at the start of the next semester," he said. 'Careful management' A university spokesperson said: "As winner of the Queen's Anniversary Prize and one of the few UK universities to hold triple gold status in the national Teaching Excellence Framework, the university has a clear vision and plan to keep delivering for our students and communities amid the financial pressures facing UK universities."A recent report from the Office for Students predicts nearly half of universities will return a financial deficit in 2024/25. We expect to achieve a break-even position due to careful management of finances over the past two years."The changes we are making now are key to adapt to the new higher education landscape."The university said the board of governors had "full confidence" in the senior leadership team. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
