British Nurses Expected to Organize First Ever National Strike, Reports Suggest

The unions are now campaigning to get the nursing staff a pay raise of 5% above inflation, since their real salary has fallen 20% since 2010 due to budget austerity.

British nurses are on their way to a major strike this winter, according to the press. Reports suggest that the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) took the biggest strike ballot in its century-long history, with over 300,000 members participating in it.

While the vote counting is still on, it is believed that the RCN will support the strike, which is to take place sometime before Christmas, reports added.

"Our strike action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses - we have their support in doing this," RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said.

A cyclist takes a picture of a recently painted mural by professional street artist David Speed and the Graffiti Life collective to show appreciation for the people who work in the NHS (National Health Service), in east London, Thursday, April 23, 2020

© AP Photo / Matt Dunham

According to the college, nursing vacancies recently hit a record-high number, and in the last year 25,000 nursing staff in the country left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. The RCN noted

"Huge numbers of staff - both experienced and newer recruits - are deciding they cannot see a future in a nursing profession that is not valued nor treated fairly," Cullen stressed.

The general secretary added that the action in the industry will prompt politicians to support their nursing staff, who are now being "exploited by governments" across the UK.

Earlier this fall, there were reports that the authorities suggested a £1,400 per year pay increase for nurses, while unions suggested that the hike won't catch up to the skyrocketing inflation.

The country faced a wave of strikes across multiple sectors in the past months, as pay offers fail to keep up with soaring inflation. The cost of living in Britain increased dramatically over the past year following the COVID pandemic and the energy crisis, exacerbated by London's decision to impose sanctions on Russia.