The gloves are off. The 106-year-old Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is about to strike nationally for the first time. They strike, they say, to send up distress flares about the state of their service.
Their case is strong: pay for experienced nurses has fallen in real terms by at least 20% since 2010 across the country. Roles are reclassified to different paybands to save on wages. In gruelling 12-hour shifts, in often understaffed wards, they have ever-sicker patients staying shorter times – they worry they can’t care as they should. They are not being sanctimonious when their leader, Pat Cullen, says this is a strike about the state of the NHS and safety of patients, as well as pay.
