LONDON: The British government has agreed to a three per cent pay rise for NHS staff after nurses threatened to go on strike. The pay rise is expected to take effect this week.
The new decision comes amid widespread dissatisfaction with the one per cent hike announced by the government earlier. The offer was widely criticised as an insult to those at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The government is expected to make an announcement in this respect today.
In March, then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock provoked NHS employees by offering a 1% pay rise. He said that raising the wages of frontline staff by 1% was a big deal and that no one would do it except him. Mr Hancock’s comment was heavily criticised at the time.
Surgeons and senior doctors demand 5% pay rise
However, it remains to be seen whether the current deal would be enough to avoid a strike by surgeons and senior doctors. Surgeons and senior doctors are threatening to go on strike, led by the British Medical Association, demanding a pay rise. They demand at least a 5% raise in their annual salary. Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing has demanded a 12.5% increase. Downing Street has not yet responded to these demands.
It is said that the main reason why Indian nurses choose Ireland over the UK is because of the low pay structure in the UK. Various recruitment companies believe that the implementation of the new pay structure demanded by the Royal College of Nursing will change the reluctance of Indian nurses towards the UK.
Thousands are waiting for treatment
The medics’ move is likely to put a lot of pressure on the government. About 5.12 million people are on the waiting list in England for routine care, the highest since records began. Of these, 65,000 have been waiting for a year and a half.
Kindly click the link below to join WhatsApp group chat to get important news and breaking news from Irish Samachar