If you think the nurses' strike is just about wages, think again. ---- Yes,
nurses are 20% worse off in real terms than they were ten years ago and nursesare demanding a 17.6% pay rise which barely keeps up with inflation. ---- Toryministers are saying that nursing should be a vocation and so pay is irrelevant.For example, Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, said it was"difficult to judge" whether nurses were currently paid enough and believed theirjob was "a vocation", saying that nurses had a starting salary of £27,000 risingto around the mid-£30,000s, and asked: "Is that enough? Who can put a value oncare like that?"It might be a vocation but it needs to be one that is affordable. This has had amassive effect on recruiting to nursing, and it is no longer considered as acareer option. As a result experienced nurses are leaving whilst fewer are cominginto nursing jobs.In September 2022 there were 47,496 nursing vacancies according to NHS VacancyStatistics England April 2015-September 2022.A survey by the nurses' union the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that only25% of shifts had the planned number of registered nurses, 83% of nurses reportedinsufficient staff to meet patient needs safely and effectively and only 18% hadenough time to provide care levels they would like. There are staff that neverhave the full complement of safe staffing levels. As a result many nurses areexhausted. This is bad for safety levels and bad for nursing staff.The RCN Employment Survey 2021 indicated that three-quarters of nursing staffworked beyond their contracted hours at least once a week, with 17% doing this ona daily basis.Nurses are angryNurses are angry and this was seen in the large number who went out on strike on15th December, a staggering 100,000. This was the largest nursing strike in thehistory of the NHS. This was followed by more strikes on the 20th December. Therewas large support for their strikes, with picket lines being reinforced bysupporters on a large scale.Nurses will be out on picket lines again on 18th and 19th January. TheConservative government is taking an intransigent stance against health workersand undoubtedly the media will drum up ill will towards the strikers, accusingthem of negligence and of causing discomfort to patients. Don't be fooled bythis. It has been the policy of both Conservative and Labour governments to rundown the NHS over the last few decades. Because of this patients are dying everyday. This is not the fault of NHS health staff. Those striking are attempting todefend the health service. They need our maximum support.Health Secretary Steve Barclay has refused to discuss the pay claim with RCNleaders. Pat Cullen, RCN General Secretary, had attempted to argue that thestrikes did not need to go ahead and indicated that the RCN would accept a paydeal that was below inflation. This cut no ice with Barclay, who went on to turndown calls by the NHS's pay review body to take into account rising inflation.Meanwhile Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi said that striking nurses were playing intoPutin's hands! He told Laura Kuenssberg of the BBC: "This is exactly what Putinwants to see-division". He went on Sky News to say: "We have to come together tosend a clear message to Mr Putin that he can't use energy as a weapon in thisway. This is not a time to strike, this is a time to negotiate".This government wants to cow health workers in line with its continuing plans todismantle the NHS. We cannot rely on the union leaders, always ready to makecompromises, as with Cullen's willingness to talk about below inflation deals orwith the GMB's decision to call off the ambulance strike on 28th December.Neither can we rely on the Labour Party. Keir Starmer called the nurses' payclaim "unaffordable", and the Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting backed thisup (see The Real Face of Labour here on the ACG website).The nurses will need to rely on their own self-organisation and increase linkswith the striking ambulance staff and with other striking workers. Coordinatedand united strike action needs to be developed alongside the creation of strikecommittees that can build towards this.Update: Despite Rishi Sunak's U-turn on agreeing to new pay negotiations, thestrikes by paramedics and nurses will go ahead with Steve Barclay now talkingabout a possible lump sum payment or backdated pay deal. This government is nowvacillating, and determined strike action can bring about a victory, if we relyon rank and file organisation and look out for any sellout by union bureaucrats.https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2023/01/11/support-the-nurses/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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