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Workers stage largest strike in history of Britain's health service

30 Comments
By Sachin Ravikumar and Natalie Thomas

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Nurses are leaving due to low pay, which causes the chronic staff shortages, which impacts on patient care every day. All those screaming about patient care being compromised don’t seem bothered about it on non strike days. 11,000 nurse vacancies in London alone. The government won’t even come to the negotiation table.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

One extra day for the patients waiting won't hurt.

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

The UK govt will likely respond by hiring thousands of more cheap medical workers from Asia.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

The government offered 1.5% not enough to cover inflation.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

The UK is the sicko of Europe and the toxic one-nation Torycapitalism crowned by a dysfunctional class system is the root-cause of it all. Some radical cure must be administered, but Starmer and his mates seem hardly up to the Augean task of cleaning up the fine mess left by Johnson's Tory wrecking crew. So now it's up to the workers to go out on to the streets and take back the "control" the Tories promised would be part of the "Brexit dividend".

5 ( +8 / -3 )

The NHS is in total collapse. Much like the UK itself.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

My sister is a UK nurse and makes £70,000. This is towards the top end on the salary scale. Average pay is around £35,000. A newly qualified nurse (band 5) starts on £27,000 this goes up to £109,000 for a (band 9 ) nurse with 5 years plus experience at that level.

Who do we compare salaries with? Teachers? Trash collectors? Merchant bankers? Care home workers?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

This needs to be resolved soon, people are suffering.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

In 2022 nurses are on £27055 per annum. This is roughly 4.3 million yen ¥4,311,281.89 (159.35 yen rate). The average in Japan is 4.99 million yen per the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

A Quick Overview Of Nurses' Salaries In The UK In 2023

https://www.nurses.co.uk/blog/a-quick-overview-of-nurses--salaries-in-the-uk/#:~:text=Band%205%20nurses%20can%20earn,salary%20ranges%20become%20more%20complex.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

So now it's up to the workers to go out on to the streets and take back the "control" the Tories promised would be part of the "Brexit dividend".

Funny innit how rightist, xenophobic populist measures never end up benefiting the populace.

Almost as if the the promoters are tools of a corporate establishment.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

The problem is, the Brit's are trying to live their previous lifestyle, but their income has dropped due to Brexit. The country just doesn't have as much money, so there is no way to sustain previous levels of public service.

How everyone didn't see this coming from Brexit is beyond me. The Brits got blinded with Brexit the same way the Americans got blinded with Trump.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

It won't solve every problem overnight but step one is to rejoin the EU and to put all this Brexit silliness behind them.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

step one is to rejoin the EU and to put all this Brexit silliness behind them.

If the EU even wants them back.

It's like an ex-partner who was all unreasonable when they left, and then comes back and says "I didn't realize what I had". Why should they be taken back?

The only own-goal of a similar scale that I can think of in the last 100 years is maybe the Americans electing Trump.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Good luck. Impossible to buy a flat on £27000 a year, even rent is a struggle.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Strangerland is correct. Brexit made the UK much poorer (by dropping Sterling from $1.65 to $1.20). This turbo-charges inflation as everything is traded in USD. Add on to that the rest of the damage that Brexit caused, breaking supply chains and increasing costs at borders, and you have an act of economic suicide. On to which you then pile the global inflation from deglobalisation that is affecting everyone.

The Tories have no reason to fix things in advance of Labour taking over. Labour themselves will be as widely hated as the Tories in short order, as there is no fix for this mess. Even if Labour re-opened to migrant labour, Sterling is no longer strong enough to compete against wages from other labour-hungry nations to pull in good staff. Rejoining the EU without all the Thatcherite opt outs would not be politically viable. That door is closed. There is no way back.

The Tory policy of normalising strikes, poor service, staff shortages and low standards will be government policy for a generation, regardless of who is in power. That is what the Remainers said would happen, and it is happening. Implement clown policies, you better get used to living in a circus. Brexit has taken down the UK far more effectively than Putin ever could have.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

The Tories have been in power for 11 years with five PMs and have destroyed the country quicker than a gang of Trots and Commis.

The voters must kick them out and keep them out.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Nurses are leaving due to low pay, which causes the chronic staff shortages, which impacts on patient care every day. All those screaming about patient care being compromised don’t seem bothered about it on non strike days. 11,000 nurse vacancies in London alone. The government won’t even come to the negotiation table.

As often, nailed it.

As for the Brexit aspect, I saw Farage confronted with the question of how Brexit was improving the lives of the British. Hard to give a positive answer. He basically blamed the handling of it by incompetent government.

This is the same man who spent his time telling us we have been run by incompetent people for decades.

What did people like Farage expect? A sudden outbreak of competence post Brexit?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

The faded paper "empire" sinking into its pathetic Brexit..

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

its all about greed.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

"The country just doesn't have as much money, so there is no way to sustain previous levels of public service."

The rich and the powerful of the UK have lots of money and power to keep it away from the working class.

It is time to retire the plutocrats and the royals. Let them drive their own cars and eat at pubs.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The Brits got blinded with Brexit the same way the Americans got blinded with Trump.

The only own-goal of a similar scale that I can think of in the last 100 years is maybe the Americans electing Trump.

Well.. Trump has nothing to do with Brexit..but TDS guess will never go away..

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Health workers are demanding a pay rise that reflects the worst inflation in Britain in four decades. The government says that would be unaffordable and only cause more price rises,

Workers striking and asking for pay to keep up with inflation doesn’t cause inflation.

But what is government doing in the business of paying health workers…

The Tory government was better when Liz Truss was in charge.

She had some decent vision, although still wanted unfunded spending too on energy subsidies.

Still, she was better.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Rodney ...

Good luck. Impossible to buy a flat on £27000 a year, even rent is a struggle.

True, but most new nurses would be 22 or 23 years old.

Most other 23 year olds would struggle. Most are still living with mum and dad.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

bailed out of Blighty in '74.... never any regrets, and nowadays, very pleased not to be there.... what a mess!

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Average London rents. £1,000 pcm for a room. £1,300 to £2,000 for a small apartment. Landlords are renting out tiny spaces and cupboards. They should be banned. No security of tenancy.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I wonder how many of the 52% who voted for Brexit or who didn't vote Labour in the last election are now complaining about the NHS and public services. You only have yourselves to blame.

The issue is not salaries - the issue is the cost of living. If the government capped energy bills like the Europeans or strictly regulated landlords, most of these workers would be able to live without striking. The focus has been shifted to salaries instead of cost of living.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

In 2022 nurses are on £27055 per annum. This is roughly 4.3 million yen ¥4,311,281.89 (159.35 yen rate). The average in Japan is 4.99 million yen per the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

And this is the point. It's all about the cost of living. If there was a fair system for renting or for young people to buy somewhere and if the government capped energy bills like the French do, workers on lower salaries could still live basic lives. Also in Japan the national health system works efficiently.

The UK has been brought to its knees but most of them voted for it. If you continue to vote based on low taxes and private healthcare this is what happens.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

True, but most new nurses would be 22 or 23 years old.

Not in the UK.

The over half of nursing students are over 25. The attrition rate of nursing students is around 50% . The average age of a UK nurse is 43. It’s an aging, female demographic.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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