The public is more supportive of nurses’ strikes following the Health Secretary’s legal action against them, a new poll suggests.
The poll, asking whether the high court battle launched by Tory MP Steven Barclay against the Royal College of Nursing over “unlawful” industrial action, found 49 per cent of respondents said it had increased their support for the walkouts.
Just 12 per cent of the 2,274 people quizzed by pollsters Savanata for The Independent said the legal action had led to a decrease in their support for the strikes. A further 34 per cent said it neither increased nor decreased their support and 5 per cent did not know.
The results come ahead of a ballot set to be launched by the RCN asking for its members to vote for new strike action later this year.
The union is set to continue plans to strike despite a new pay deal being accepted by the NHS Staff Council – which covers all 14 non-medial unions – in a vote this week.
Under the deal, healthcare workers will get a 5 per cent pay rise this financial year and two one-off payments for 2022-23.
Following the vote government may also face first-time strike action from the Society of Radiographers which voted to reject the pay deal.
Despite the RCN, Society of Radiographers, and other smaller unions voting to reject the deal, the majority of unions voted in favour and so the new pay offer will be imposed by the government.
RCN chief told The Independent on Sunday regardless of the outcome the union will still pursue a new strike mandate.
The RCN’s mandate for strike action ended in May and so it will have to seek a new one and achieve at least a 50 per cent vote in favour.
The Society of Radiographers, which covers 20,000 radiographers in England, has warned the health secretary it will ballot members over strike action in June, should he refuse to open new negotiations on pay.
Nurses went on strike on Sunday and Bank holiday Monday which led to 11,000 patient appointments getting postponed. Since December more than half a million appointments have been cancelled due to the various strike actions from health unions.
Health secretary Steve Barclay said he welcomed the decision of the High Court that the Royal College of Nursing’s strike in May was unlawful.
