Latest news with #strike
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- Health
- The Independent
Streeting to resident doctors: ‘I deeply regret position we find ourselves in'
Wes Streeting has sent a personal letter to NHS resident doctors, saying 'I deeply regret the position we now find ourselves in' as they prepare to strike. The Health Secretary said while he cannot pledge a bigger pay rise, he is committed to progress to improve their working lives. He also said he does not now believe the British Medical Association's resident doctors committee (RDC) has 'engaged with me in good faith' over bids to avert the strike. Thousands of resident doctors are to walk out from 7am on Friday for five days. In the letter sent on Thursday afternoon, seen by the PA news agency, Mr Streeting said: 'I wanted to write to you personally about the situation we find ourselves in. 'This Government came into office, just over a year ago, with a great deal of sympathy for the arguments that resident doctors were making about pay, working conditions and career progression. 'I was determined to build a genuine partnership with the… RDC to make real improvements on all three fronts. 'We have made progress together. While some of my critics in Parliament and the media believe I was naive to agree such a generous pay deal to end the strikes last year, I stand by that choice.' Mr Streeting said he had agreed that pay deal 'because I believed it to be fair', adding resident doctors have now had an average 28.9% pay award under Labour. He added: 'Strike action should always be a last resort – not the action you take immediately following a 28.9% pay award from a Government that is committed to working with you to further improve your lives at work. 'While I've been honest with the BMA RDC that we cannot afford to go further on pay this year, I was prepared to negotiate on areas related to your conditions at work and career progression, including measures that would put money back in the pockets of resident doctors… 'Based on discussions with the BMA RDC leaders between July 8 and 19, I set out three substantive areas where I believed we could work together to make real improvements.' These included tackling the 'arduous' training pathway, and 'I made it clear that I was prepared to agree actions to reduce the costs you face as a result of training', Mr Streeting said. He said he had also been looking at the cost of equipment, food and drink, and 'was prepared to explore how many further training posts could be created – additional to the 1,000 already announced – as early as possible'. Mr Streeting said he had asked the BMA for strikes to be postponed for a 'few weeks so we could work together on a detailed package that could form an offer to you to end this dispute'. He wrote to the RDC on Monday evening setting out a way to avert strike action, which had been discussed with the RDC in draft form, he added. 'I had responded to their requests for where additional information was required,' he said. 'I no longer believe that they have engaged with me in good faith.' Mr Streeting continued: 'I deeply regret the position we now find ourselves in. The public, and I am sure many of you, do not understand the rush to strike action. 'I would like to thank all those that will be turning up to work and supporting their colleagues in providing care for patients despite the challenging circumstances. I urge you to join them. We can achieve more for both doctors and patients by working together.' Later, Mr Streeting said there is 'no getting around the fact that these strikes will hit the progress we are making in turning the NHS around'. He added: 'But I am determined to keep disruption to patients at a minimum and continue with the recovery we have begun delivering in the last 12 months after a decade-and-a-half of neglect. We will not be knocked off course.' Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, told PA health staff will be working 'flat out' to see as many patients as they can during the strike, after NHS England made clear it wants as much pre-planned care as possible to continue. He said: 'Striking doctors should think carefully if they are really doing the right thing for patients, for the NHS and for themselves. 'NHS trusts will do everything they can to postpone as few appointments as possible… 'The strike will throttle hard-won progress to cut waiting lists, but NHS trust leaders and staff will be working flat out to see that as many patients as possible get the care they need.' The public have been urged to keep coming forward for NHS care during the walkout. GP surgeries will open as usual and urgent care and A&E will continue to be available, alongside 111, NHS England said. Elsewhere, the Health Service Journal (HSJ) reported that NHS chief Sir Jim Mackey had told trust leaders to try to crack down on resident doctors' ability to work locum shifts during the strike and earn money that way. Leaders have also been encouraged to seek 'derogations', where resident doctors are required to work during the strikes, in more circumstances, the HSJ reported. Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: 'These strikes were not inevitable – the Government entered negotiations with the BMA in good faith to discuss improving the working and training lives of resident doctors… 'The impact of these strikes and the distress they will cause patients rests with the BMA.' The BMA argues real-terms pay has fallen by around 20% since 2008, and is pushing for full 'pay restoration'. The union is taking out national newspaper adverts on Friday, saying it wants to 'lay bare the significant pay difference between a resident doctor and their non-medically qualified assistants'. It said the adverts 'make clear that while a newly-qualified doctor's assistant is taking home over £24 per hour, a newly-qualified doctor with years of medical school experience is on just £18.62 per hour'. The BMA said Mr Streeting and his officials have refused to continue talks across the strike days and the minister's letter to them 'amounted to nothing more than vague promises on non-pay issues'. RDC co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said in a statement: 'Pay erosion has now got to the point where a doctor's assistant can be paid up to 30% more than a resident doctor. That's going to strike most of the public that use the NHS as deeply unfair. 'Resident doctors are not worth less than they were 17 years ago, but unfortunately they've seen their pay erode by more than 21% in the last two decades. We're not working 21% less hard so why should our pay suffer? 'We're asking for an extra £4 per hour to restore our pay. It's a small price to pay for those who may hold your life in their hands.' The statement said Mr Streeting had every opportunity to prevent the strike, and added: 'We want these strikes to be the last we ever have to participate in. 'We are asking Mr Streeting to get back around the table with a serious proposal as soon as possible – this time with the intent to bring this to a just conclusion.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- Business
- BBC News
Wrexham agreement ends Oscar Mayer strike action at factory
A long-running dispute over pay and conditions at a food manufacturer has been resolved following the signing of an agreement between the company and a 550 workers at Oscar Mayer in Wrexham have been involved in 200 strike days between September 2024 and April Unite union has described the agreement as a "tremendous victory", while Oscar Mayer said it was "pleased" that an agreement had been said staff had been fighting for their colleagues' jobs and over terms and conditions of employment and said the company had attempted to slash pay by up to £3,000 a year, by firing and rehiring them on inferior contracts. The union added that 26 dismissed workers had been reinstated and improvements had been made to holiday compensation, as part of the said it was the first time a formal recognition agreement had been made between Oscar Mayer and company - which supplies products to Tesco, Asda, Greggs, Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Co-op - said it was "pleased that an agreement with Unite was reached" and said it would continue to "focus on a long-term sustainable business".Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, "This is a tremendous victory by low paid workers who were prepared to stand up to their employer and fight back against pay cuts while defending fellow workers."She added that it showed there was "power in a union".
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Labour dept to probe company linked to bus strike
About 100 cross-border bus drivers went on strike yesterday, leaving thousands of Malaysian workers stranded on the Causeway. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : Human resources minister Steven Sim said the labour department will investigate the bus company linked to a strike yesterday which left thousands of Malaysian workers stranded at the Johor-Singapore border. He also said the alleged salary deductions of the bus drivers which triggered the strike were unacceptable. 'If these allegations are true, then it is tantamount to illegal deductions of their salaries,' he told reporters after launching the World Bank's report on inclusive employment practices here. Sim said the government had already stipulated the rate of statutory deductions, and that employers would have to consult employees if they intended to deduct more than the set rate. About 100 cross-border bus drivers went on strike at 5am yesterday, leaving thousands of Malaysian workers stranded on the Causeway. A driver claimed that a new salary scheme, introduced two months ago, had reduced the income of drivers to below RM2,000 a month. He also alleged that the drivers were now required to make five trips each day instead of four. This followed a report by Harian Metro late last month, quoting some express and tour bus drivers as claiming that they received a basic salary of RM700. Others claimed they were not paid a basic salary at all. The minimum wage in Malaysia is currently RM1,700 a month. Sim said this was not the first time that complaints had been lodged against the bus company in question. He said the company violated the Employment Act two weeks ago, but did not elaborate on the matter. 'I'm warning this company, do not disregard the Employment Act. We will not compromise,' he said. 32 other bus firms also under probe In a statement later, the labour department said two investigation papers have been opened into the company involved, while 32 other firms are also being investigated. It said this followed an operation at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar today, where checks were conducted on the companies. The department said its probe papers have been opened under the Employment Act and the Employees' Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Amenities Act 1990. 'If convicted of making illegitimate pay cuts, employers can face a fine of up to RM50,000 for each offence,' it warned.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Fears for patient safety as resident doctors ready for strike
Resident doctors from the British Medical Association are due to begin a five-day walkout on Friday in a dispute over pay, marking their 12th strike since March 2023. Professor Tim Briggs, NHS England national director, warned that the industrial action will harm patients, stressing doctors' primary duty to patient care. While the BMA cites pay as the reason, Professor Briggs suggested resident doctors' concerns are more focused on non-pay factors such as rotas, training bottlenecks, and funding for courses. NHS England plans to cover emergency services and some elective care, but the BMA argues this could put patients at risk as senior doctors cannot cover both emergency and routine demands. NHS England has advised the public to use 111 online for non-emergencies during the strike.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Resident doctor strike will harm patients, NHS boss warns
The strike by resident doctors, which starts on Friday in England, is not acceptable because of the harm it will cause patients, says a senior NHS Tim Briggs, who is a national director at NHS England and has been involved with talks with the BMA on strike planning, says while doctors have a right to strike it should never lead to patient harm - but it is now clear the walkouts by resident doctors will harm doctors – the new term for junior doctors – will start a five-day strike at 07:00 BST doctors are being asked to provide cover, but Prof Briggs is worried about the impact it will have on both emergency and non-urgent care. NHS England is aiming to keep the majority of non-urgent care, such as knee and hip operations, going during this strike, which marks a change in approach compared with previous industrial action when such treatment was cancelled BMA believes this approach is not safe – and says non-urgent care should be cancelled in many cases to ensure emergency services are better doctors have been involved in 11 strikes in their long-running pay have led to the cancellation of more than a million treatments and Briggs told the BBC: "We know from the pandemic and the last strike that if you cancel those [non-urgent] patients many have been waiting a significant amount of time, those patients come to harm."You cannot decouple elective and emergency care, the two go together."He said that was because cancelled operations can have serious adverse effects on patients both mentally and physically, citing examples of patients facing long waits for a hip replacement and being left on strong painkillers unable to get out of their chair or go upstairs." BMA leader Dr Tom Dolphin said: "We are very sorry that strikes have become necessary and of course if people have emergencies or need urgent care they should still present to the hospital or their GP as usual, as they always would."Striking is something that doctors don't want to have to do," he said, adding that the walkouts could have been avoided if "a real pathway" had been made on restoring the "lost value" of pay. He said the BMA was still open to further discussions about resolving the dispute. The strike is going ahead after talks between the government and BMA broke down on five days of talks the two sides discussed extra financial support for resident doctors to cover the cost of exam fees and equipment as well as faster career BMA asked for a scheme to help write off student loans, but the government rejected of the talks, Health Secretary Wes Streeting made it clear he would not revisit this year's pay doctors were given an average rise of 5.4% - and this came after an increase of more than 20% over the previous two NHS managers have also criticised what they say are inflated shift rates being requested by senior doctors to provide cover for striking resident Elkeles, of NHS Providers, which represents health managers, said the strike would be a "crushing blow" for said another "huge worry" was the cost, saying the BMA had recommended senior doctors ask for "inflated rates" that were "simply unaffordable"The BMA has recommended senior doctors insist on premium rates that for consultants can exceed £300 an hour for night can mean they can earn three times what they normally BMA said doctors needed to be incentivised to take on this extra work.
