Thousands of hospital doctors go on unprecedented 96-hour strike across the UK. Hospital staff are dissatisfied with the working conditions at the National Health Service (SSN). They are therefore asking for higher wages, but also for better working conditions. Negotiations with the government for a new collective labor agreement have stalled.
Union representative Sumi Manirajan expresses her concern about the situation. “More than 7.2 million patients are waiting for treatment. Then there are more people living in Scotland.’ The new treatments will be canceled during the strike, Manirajan explains. She blames the government for this. “She refuses to negotiate with us.”
In total, nearly 40,000 “young doctors” are taking part in the 96-hour strike, explains UK correspondent Lia van Bekhoven. “They are striking for a 35 percent wage increase.” Politicians do not find this demand realistic. “A research firm says physicians are eligible for a salary increase of about sixteen percent when you consider how wages have stagnated since 2008.” However, the government is only offering a two percent raise.
“People will still die who would have been alive without the strike”
250,000 treatments postponed
Due to relatively low wages and high inflation above ten per cent in the UK, people are ‘less interested in working in a hospital’. ‘People will work elsewhere. Doctors have fled to other countries such as Australia and Canada,” says Van Bekhoven, who calls the hospital staff strike a “major escalation.” If so, people will die who would have been alive without the strike. It’s inevitable.’ In total, 250,000 treatments have been postponed due to the strike.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
