Trade Unions Should Feel Confident For Public Sector Disputes
The Social ReviewDec 17, 2022
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members are set to stage a second strike on Dec. 20, after almost 10K members struck on Dec. 15 in demand of wage increases. Nurses will continue to provide support for critical and emergency departments — such as chemotherapy and neonatal care — but plan to scale back on non-critical services in the case of further strike action.
The RCN is calling for a 19% wage increase for its members, as well as action from the government to more effectively and rapidly fill record-high vacancies in the NHS.
Not only have nurses and frontline workers borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, they now face a government trying to nickel-and-dime them out of a necessary and well-deserved pay increase, all while dealing with record-high inflation and a buckling healthcare system. Public sector wages have stagnated profoundly under Conservative governance and it's time for the government to truly show their appreciation for healthcare workers by compensating them fairly.
Unions must face the fact that every day they stay on the picket line puts the lives of countless Britons at risk. The government is scrambling to find solutions to the economic crisis sparked by COVID-19 and inflation, as well as the market destabilization induced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine — the unions are simply not playing fair by ignoring the reality of current economic circumstances. The independent wage-setting body has made their recommendation, and the government is well within their rights to stick to it.