LONDON, Jan 17 — Nurses in England and Wales will stage walkouts in February after talks for better pay broke down.
“February will see NHS (National Health Service) nursing staff go on strike in what will be our most widespread protest so far against unfair pay and unsafe staffing,” Anadolu Agency quoted the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) as saying in a statement on Monday.
If there is no progress in talks with the United Kingdom (UK) and Wales governments by the end of January, there will be strikes on February 6-7, the union said.
There were strikes by nurses in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales last month.
In England, nurses are also set to stage walkouts this Wednesday and Thursday.
Meanwhile, teachers in England and Wales also announced walkouts in February and March.
The National Education Union (NEU), the largest education union in the UK, said that union members overwhelmingly voted in favour of taking action for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise.
“In Wales, 88.26 per cent of support staff voted YES to taking industrial action on a turnout of 51.30 per cent … In England, 84.13 per cent of support staff in the ballot group voted YES to taking industrial action on a turnout of 46.46 per cent,” said the union as quoted by Anadolu Agency.
All union members in England and Wales will walkout on February 1, Wales (February 14) and Northern, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber regions (February 28).
Also, all member teachers in East Midlands, West Midlands, Eastern regions will strike (on March 1), London, South East, and South West regions (March 2) and England and Wales (March 15 and 16).
“Schools cannot run without support staff and the vital work they do,” added the NEU.
— Bernama
