Midwives and maternity support staff are the latest NHS workers in Wales to vote in favour of taking industrial action over pay. In a ballot organised by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) that closed on Monday, December 12, 95.14% voted for industrial action short of a strike based on a turnout of 55.39% of eligible members.
On the question 'Are you prepared to take industrial action consisting of a strike?' more than nine out of 10 (91.46%) voted yes. The emphatic RCM vote follows the decision by members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to walk out on December 15 and 20 after last-minute talks with the Welsh Government broke down. You can read more about that here.
Julie Richards, director for Wales at the RCM, said: "Midwives and MSWs in Wales are exhausted. The disappointing and unacceptable 4% pay offer simply reinforced their feelings of being overlooked and undervalued. Taking industrial action is always a last resort, and the decision taken by our members today shows just how desperate they are for policy makers to listen. The Welsh Government must now do so to get maternity services in Wales back on track and to stop the inevitable exodus of demoralised staff.”
