Following last week’s railway workers’ strike led by the National Union of Railway, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), doctors and nurses were inspired to fight for their own pay rise and threaten to strike. Doctors have vowed ‘now is the time to fight back’ amid the cost of living crisis, soaring inflation and strikes by fellow workers.
The British Medical Association (BMA) annual conference in Brighton saw a vote by representatives to force ministers to approve a pay rise.
The BMA argues the increase would ensure that reimbursements are made for real pay cuts that have occurred since 2008.
Dr Emma Runswick spoke at the conference and supported the motion saying: “Restoring wages is the right, just and moral thing to do, but it is a big ask and it will not be easy to to win.
“Each part of the BMA needs to plan how to achieve this. But I’m not stupid, I know that it is likely that industrial action will be necessary to move governments on this issue.
The pay cuts in real terms would have cost doctors “millions of pounds”, which Dr Runswick called “outrageous”.
The doctor added: “All around us workers are coming together in unions and earning big – last month men in Manchester 22%; Workers at Gatwick Airport got a 21 per cent pay rise two weeks ago, and in March cleaners and porters at Croydon Hospital got a 24 per cent pay rise %.
“These workers came together and used a key tool that unions have – the ability to collectively organize, collectively bargain and collectively withdraw our work…vote for this motion and I’ll see you on the picket lines .”
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The doctors said they were tired of “sitting on our hands” and noted their support for industrial action to get their pay rise approved.
Joanna Sutton-Klein, 28, a trainee accident and emergency doctor, said: ‘Some people might think the demand for full salary restoration is too high – they might even think it’s outrageous.
“But I’ll tell you what’s outrageous…that our pay continues to be cut.”
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Source: www.express.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-06-28 05:04:42
