UK: Nurses to escalate strike action

Thousands of nurses in the United Kingdom are planning to escalate their industrial action next month with longer strikes. The longer strikes will now include staff that was previously exempted as the dispute still remains with the British government over pay.

The Royal College of Nursing said on Thursday that tens of thousands of the country’s nurses are set to escalate their strike action with longer demonstrations on March 1. The next strike will now involve nurses that work in emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care, and other services that previously did not take part in the walkouts. Nurses held two-day strikes in December, January, and earlier this month, each lasting for 12 hours.

“At first we asked thousands to keep working during the strikes but it is clear that it is only prolonging the dispute,” said RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen, adding that no part of the National Health Service will be affected.

“By refusing to negotiate with nurses, the prime minister is pushing even more people into the strike. He must listen to NHS leaders and not let this go ahead,” said Cullen.

The RCN said its nurses have suffered over 10 years of poor pay which led to thousands leaving the profession. The union has now pushed for an increase in pay to better reflect the worst inflation the UK has experienced in decades. The British government has argued that such pay rises would only worsen inflation and cause interest and mortgage rates to go up.

Meanwhile, the trade union representing over 110,000 workers of the Royal Mail said thousands of the workers voted in favor of further strike action, and warned of more walkouts until the dispute is resolved. The Communication Workers Union said 95 percent of those who took part in the vote were in favor of more strikes. The CWU has yet to set dates for new strikes but the vote would give it a six-month mandate for industrial action until August.

The latest strike by Royal Mail workers was in December when parcel volumes are usually high due to the holiday season.