Thousands of hospital doctors are embarking on an unprecedented 96-hour strike across the UK. Hospital staff are unhappy with working conditions in the National Health Service (NHS). They therefore demand higher wages, but also better working conditions. Negotiations with the government over a new collective labor agreement have stalled.
Union representative Sumi Manirajan is concerned about the situation. More than 7.2 million patients are awaiting treatment. Then there are more people who live in Scotland. Manirajan explains that new treatments will be canceled during the strike. She blames the government for that. He refuses to negotiate with us.”
Also read | Europe was affected by strikes due to high inflation
In total, nearly 40,000 “junior doctors” are taking part in the 96-hour strike, UK correspondent Leah van Beekhoven explains. “They are striking for a 35 percent wage increase.” Politicians do not find this requirement realistic. “A research firm says doctors deserve a pay raise of about sixteen percent, if you look at how wages have stagnated since 2008.” However, the government is only offering a 2% increase.
“People will die anyway who would have been alive without the strike.”
250,000 sessions have been postponed
Because of the relatively low wages and high inflation of more than ten percent in the UK, people are “less interested in working in a hospital”. People will go to work elsewhere. Doctors have fled to other countries such as Australia and Canada,” says Van Beekhoven, who describes the hospital staff strike as a “dangerous escalation.” “This is a huge step forward that will seriously damage the healthcare system. In any case, people who would otherwise be alive would die if not for the strike. This is inevitable. In total, 250,000 treatments have been delayed due to the strike.
