Merseyside nurses walk out in historic strike over pay
The Royal College of Nursing says it is defending a profession to protect the future of the NHS
Nurses right across Merseyside are walking out on strike today, for the first time in their union's 106-year history.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has organised walk outs at hospital trusts across England, Wales and Northern Ireland both today and next Tuesday (December 20), in a row with the government over pay and working conditions.
Among those impacted are Liverpool Womens, Clatterbridge, The Royal and Aintree Hospital.
Lucy is a Nurse from Liverpool, who will be joining the picket line today.
She told us “No nurses want to strike.
"We've been forced into this position and our low pay is pushing nursing staff out of the profession. And it's put in patient care at risk.
"And us going out on strike, we're standing up for the profession and patients as well as protecting the NHS.
"We want to make sure that we've got a work for which is fit for the purpose for other generations.
"And we're not gonna tolerate being on a financial knife edge anymore.”
The RCN is calling for a pay rise of 19.2% but ministers have deemed this amount unaffordable.
Lucy told us the increase is to stay in line with the cost of living as staff struggle to keep up.
She said: “I've got colleagues who cry in and work under the pressure of unsafe staffing.
"Others live in cold houses and can't afford their energy bills.
"And these nurses are coming to work every day to care for other people's friends and families when they can barely look after their own financially.
"We can barely make ends meet.
"And so this strike is the last resort because the government aren't listening to us.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, said: “Our nurses are incredibly dedicated to their job and it is deeply regrettable some union members are going ahead with strike action.
“My number one priority is to keep patients safe – I’ve been working across government and with medics outside the public sector to ensure safe staffing levels - but I do remain concerned about the risk that strikes pose to patients. Nevertheless, the NHS is open and patients should continue to seek urgent medical care - and attend appointments, unless they’ve been contacted by the NHS.
“These are challenging times but we have accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS Pay Review Body in full to give nurses a pay rise of at least £1,400 – on top of a 3% pay rise last year when wider public sector pay was frozen. Further pay increases would mean taking money away from frontline services at a time when we are tackling record waiting lists as a result of the pandemic.”
The RNC encourage anyone who supports their cause to join the nurses on the picket lines.
Lucy told us: "None of us want to go on strike. We're in this situation because the low pay is pushing nursing staff out and it's putting patient care at risk.
"Standing up for the profession that is under attack from millionaires in Westminster.
"I think when everyone's out on strike, I think we want the public to come down to the picket lines. We want them to be lobbying their MP's and local politicians to take the message back to Parliament that nurses deserve better."
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