Nurses Across UK Vote to Strike for First Time in History
Nurses across the UK have voted to strike over pay for the first time in their 106-year history with walkouts expected to start by the end of the year.
Hundreds of NHS work places across the UK say they have been forced to take industrial action over crippling pay conditions.
General Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing, Pat Cullen described it as a “defining moment”.
She said: “Our fight will continue through strike action and beyond for as long as it takes to win justice for the nursing profession and our patients.”
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced on Wednesday that nurses in hospitals and other NHS care would be acting before Christmas and could continue striking until May 2023.
Why are nurses striking?
The RCN are campaigning for a pay rise of 5% above the RPI inflation rate as they claim salaries of nursing professionals have consistently fallen below inflation over the years. Nurses in England and Wales were guaranteed a rise of £1,400 while NHS in Scotland were offered just over £2,200, however the union are pressing for pay rises that match inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.
Ms Cullen said she hoped the campaign would highlight the valuable work nurses do. “This is about ensuring that nursing is seen as an attractive, rewarding profession to tackle the tens of thousands of unfilled nursing posts,” she said.
Figures have shown that empty nursing vacancies in England have hit 46,000, the highest number on record.
“Today’s vacancy figures are staggering and further proof that the NHS simply doesn’t have enough staff to deliver everything being asked of it”, added Saffron Cordery, the interim Chief Executive of NHS Providers.
Raihana Haidair, who studied nursing said: “I am not in nursing for this very reason, I think nurses have every right to go on strike because of their salaries, it does not equal to the amount of work they’re responsible for. It is extremely unfair, and it is totally reasonable if there is a decline in nursing at universities, I definitely would not be surprised.”
According to the RCN, 25,000 people had left the Nursing and Midwifery council (NMC) register. The union said: “despite a pay award of £1,400 nurses have been left 20% off worse since 2010 in real terms due to inflation which has exceeded 10%. Only by paying nursing staff fairly will we recruit and retain people in our profession.”
Mrs Haidair added: As much as the job is fulfilling and enjoyable, it doesn’t equate to the heavy workload.”
Credit: @thercn via Instagram
How much do nurses earn?
A qualified nurse in the UK can earn anywhere between £27,055 and £109,475 depending on their experiences, skills and how many years they have been in the job.
This is broken up in salary bands, which range from band 5 to band 9, only a small number of nurses in the UK are able to earn from the highest end. The starting salary for a band 5 nurse is £27,055, which then increases to £29,180. The highest a band 5 nurse can earn is £32,934
Band 6 roles start at £33,706 and can rise up to £40,588 for nurses with more than 5 years of experience.
Band 7 roles start at £41,659 and can rise to £47,672 for nurses with more than 5 years of experience.
Band 8a roles start at £48,526, but the Band 8d salary can rise to £91,787 a year.
Meanwhile, Band 9 roles start at £95,135 and the highest possible Band 9 salary is £109,475, which nurses can get after five years or more experience in the Band.
The RCN say that up to 100,000 nurses could be involved in the nurse walkout and if the government do not come up with a deal more services would be involved in a strike next year.
RCN 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. Nursing is standing up for the profession and their patients.”
Despite the nurses due to strike on the 15th and 20th of December from 08:00 to 20:00 GMT. The RCN has to ensure life-preserving care.
This means that some services such as cancer ones, urgent tests, scans, and ongoing care for vulnerable patients will be protected beside A&E and intensive care.
GP services will be unaffected as nurses working in practices were not entitled to take part in the ballot.
Rhianna Gordon-Harvey, a care assistant and student mental health nurse said: “Nurses do not want anyone’s health to be at risk so measure should take place to make sure those who are vulnerable will continue to get the care they need, while nurses rightfully fight for fair pay.”
Here is a list of which trusts in the West Midlands region will be affected.
• Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
• Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
• NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB (BSol ICB)
• The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
• Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust