Nurses in England go on strike over pay, working conditions

Over 100,000 nurses in England on Monday, embarked on a 28-hour strike following a dispute with the government over poor remuneration and unfavourable working conditions.

The first ever industrial action by the nurses, which has already affected some critical services, was the last resort in an increasingly bitter dispute with the government over pay and conditions, English media reported.

The strike action comes after members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) earlier this month voted to reject a 5 percent government pay increase offer, after British healthcare and ambulance workers voted to accept the government pay offer, the report said.

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The Monday action by the RCN is one of many across the British private and public sectors over the past year as workers have grappled with double-digit inflation and is the first time critical care areas such as intensive care, chemotherapy and dialysis have been hit by a walkout.

RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen, in an interview, called on the Health Minister, Steve Barclay, to “come back around the table and put a better offer on the table”.

“We need to pay nurses decently and what we need to see now is the NHS standing up and being very clear with the government that they need to address the nursing crisis that they’ve got right throughout the NHS,” she said.

“And until they do so, our nurses, unfortunately, will be left with no option but to continue with the action that they are taking,” she added.