Thousands of nurses in UK to go on strike for the first time ever in history

As living expenses rise, tens of thousands of nurses in the UK will go on strike for the first time in order to seek fairer pay.The Royal College of Nursing (RCN)announced on Wednesday that majority of nurses employed by state-run National Health Service (NHS) nationwide have approved the action.

After the first vote in its 106-year history to authorise strike action, the RCN, which has more than 300,000 members, announced that industrial action would start before the end of the year.

RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen said in a statement, “Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough.”

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“This action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses. Standards are falling too low,” he added.

According to the RCN, NHS nurses' salary has decreased by up to 20 per centin real terms over the past decade, making it difficult for members to support their families and pay their bills.The union is requesting a wage increase of 5 per centover inflation.

In September, NHS executives said that nurses were skipping meals in order to clothe and feed their kids and were finding it difficult to pay for growing transportation costs.

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According to NHS Providers, a group that advocates for hospital organisations in England, one in four hospitals has established food banks to help staff.

The UK has experienced a surge of industrial discontent this year in a variety of sectors, including the law and railways since pay has not kept pace with inflation, which is currently running at 10 per cent, and rising energy prices.

The strike action poses a serious threat to the health system, which is already under pressure from ongoing government underinvestment, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a critical staffing shortage.

(with inputs from agencies)