Nurses across Wales have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in a "historic moment" for the profession. Twelve out of 13 NHS employers in Wales reached the 50% turnout threshold, which means that nurses based in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (49.6% turnout) will not be involved in the walkout as things stand.
NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts were told earlier this year that they would receive a £1,400 pay rise which equates to an average of 4.75% - a decision described as "pitiful and insulting". Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales said strike action among its members was "a last resort" but one that was reached due to the Welsh Government's "continual denial and inaction on addressing the issues facing nursing staff which are comprising patient care".
RCN Wales has confirmed that the first period of industrial action can be expected in December and that its mandate to organise strikes runs until early May 2023, six months after members finished voting. Its members were balloted from October 6 to November 2.
