Junior doctors ‘likely’ to join mass walk outs next month, union warns
Junior doctors in England have been tipped to join the mass of strike action next month by walking out over pay and conditions.
Teachers, nurses, ambulance staff, rail workers, bus workers, university lecturers, civil servants, firefighters and border staff are among industries already undertaking strike action against real-term pay cuts triggered by soaring inflation.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is also balloting around 45,000 junior doctor members in England on whether to also strike – with results due on 20 February.
If the ballot is successful, requiring s a turnout of 50 per cent of those eligible, junior doctors will begin their action with a 72-hour full walkout in March.
Dr Mike Greenhalgh, deputy co-chair of the British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee, said medics are “likely” to walk out over pay and conditions, but he hopes this can be avoided through talks between the union and the Government.
Mr Greenhalgh told Sky News: “We have been driven to this as a last resort and would still like to avoid it if possible. However, unfortunately, I do think it’s highly likely.
“We have seen from the strikes from our other colleagues in the healthcare profession that they have unfortunately been having impacts.
“This is in the gift of the government to avoid. Our door is open, we would meet them today, tomorrow, this week, and we could potentially avoid this.”
Doctors below the consultant level would walk out if the ballot is successful.
A small number of junior doctors represented by the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) have already voted to strike.
Last month, 97.48 per cent of HSA members backed walkouts.
The union has yet to set a date for a strike but has said it will agree “the timing and shape” of a walkout in coordination with other health unions.
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Junior doctors will not receive an NHS pay rise this year because they have a multi-year pay deal included in their contracts which expires in March and gives them a 2 per cent rise for 2022/2023.
The medics have seen a real-term pay cut over the past 15 years – amounting to a 26.1 per cent decline in pay since 2008/9, according to the BMA.
On Monday thousands of nurses from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are striking alongside GMB and Unite paramedics, call handlers and other staff at ambulance strikes.
There will also be a nurse strike on Tuesday and an ambulance workers’ strike on Friday.
Physiotherapists will be taking industrial action on Thursday.
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