Nurses vote for historic nationwide strike
(Picture: PA Archive)Members of the Royal College of Nursing have voted to go on strike, in the biggest action of the union’s 106-year history.
The union has demanded a pay rise of 5 per cent above inflation, which is currently at 10.1 percent, and claimed that the Government’s offer - a £1,400 pay rise - is insufficient.
Recent analysis by London Economic, conducted for the union, showed that an experienced nurse’s salary has fallen by 20 percent in real-terms since 2010.
Ahead of the ballot, the RCN’s General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen said “There has never been a more crucial time to fight for safe staffing and fair pay” - adding that their profession is “being pushed to the edge, with patient safety paying the price.”
A&E nurse Lucy Shapcott explains why some nurses have left the profession altogether, and what has led NHS staff vote for strike action.
Listen here or here:
