Resident doctors in England will call a five-day strike starting December 17, just before Christmas, alleging that the Government has not made a credible offer on jobs and salaries, a union representing them announced on Monday.
The British Medical Association, in conflict for months with the Government on behalf of resident doctors, claims that the 5.4% salary offer presented by the Government does not address years of salary erosion by adjusting for inflation, while the Government claims that the agreement is fair and affordable.
Responding to the latest strike notice, Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticized the BMA for choosing to strike “when it will cause maximum disruption” and “unspeakable anxiety”.
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“These strikes benefit no one and have no moral justification,” he said in a statement released by his department, adding that the government was open to talks. Resident doctors, formerly known as doctors in training, staged a five-day strike last month and another five-day strike in July after the government said it could not meet their demands for an improved pay deal this year.
Last year, the then newly elected Labor government quickly reached an agreement with doctors for a 22% pay rise, as part of its promise to fix the National Health Service and in the hope of ending a long-running dispute.
The BMA was calling for a 29% rise this year to restore 2008 wage levels in real terms. Streeting wrote to the union last month to stress that “the enormous financial pressures facing the country prevent me from going further on pay.”
With information from EFE
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