We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members will take industrial action on December 15 and 20 over pay and patient safety. It will hit half of the locations in England where the legal mandate was reached for strikes, every NHS employer except one in Wales and throughout Northern Ireland. A separate pay offer has been made in Scotland.

The RCN said the number of NHS bosses affected by action would increase in January unless the Government agreed to hold negotiations.

Union general secretary, Pat Cullen, said: “Ministers have declined my offer of formal pay negotiations and instead chosen strike action.

“It has left us with no choice but to announce where our members will be going on strike in December.

“Ministers still have the power and the means to stop this by opening negotiations.”

The RCN claims despite this year’s pay award of £1,400, experienced nurses are 20 percent worse off in real terms because of below-inflation awards since 2010.

It is seeking a pay rise of five percent above RPI inflation.

Other unions for workers including ambulance crews, midwives and hospital cleaners are balloting their members on strikes.

Meanwhile, Royal Mail staff, university lecturers and sixth-form college staff are staging walkouts on Wednesday, with more strikes planned in the run-up to Christmas.

Source: Read Full Article