NHS staff across London voting on whether to strike this winter
The strike ballot opens today and closes on 25 November
NHS staff in the capital are being balloted from today over whether they want to strike over pay and conditions.
The strike ballot is open to health staff, including paramedics, theatre staff, occupational therapists, porters and nurses, who are represented by UNISON.
The union has also written to the Government urging them to negotiate an improved pay rate to avert action that could disrupt NHS services this winter.
UNISON want the Government to 'put pay right', arguing it's an 'important first step in tackling the chronic staff shortages across the NHS'.
The strike ballot opens today and closes on 25 November.
"People are shattered"
Sasha Savage is from the trade union.
She told us why this is all taking place:
"The NHS pay award that has been given and not negotiated this year, represents just 72p an hour. This is not going to help as the cost of energy, food, housing and fuel are going through the roof. This is on top of years of pay restraint for NHS workers and they have had enough".
"People are shattered. They have had so many years of poor pay, reducing members of staff- who they are having to work harder to paper over the cracks. Also, all the mental and physical strain of going through the pandemic. Now, they have this slap in the face pay award from the Government".
Ms Savage says there's no guarantee that industrial action will take place:
"It may well be that the Government sees sense. But if strikes do take place, we do have concern for the public and we always ensure that we have cover in place. We would never walk away from a patient that needed us".
"The ball is sitting in the government’s court”
UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “The backlog won’t reduce, nor waiting times and delays lessen unless the NHS can keep hold of its experienced employees and attract new people.
“A proper pay rise would help the NHS start tackling the growing staffing shortages hampering its ability to cut waiting lists and reduce ambulance delays.
“But disruption isn’t inevitable. Ministers could come up with a decent wage increase and a proper workforce plan. The ball is sitting in the government’s court.”
What have the Government said about all this?
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We value the hard work of NHS staff and are working hard to support them – including by giving over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year.
“Industrial action is a matter for unions, and we urge them to carefully consider the potential impacts on patients.”