DOCTORS IN ENGLAND LAUNCH STRIKE OVER SALARIES AND EMPLOYMENT ISSUES
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Thousands of physicians in England initiated a five-day strike regarding compensation and training positions on Friday, marking the 13th departure by medical professionals since March 2023.
The protest, commencing at 0700 GMT, involved several resident physicians, those below the consultant level who constitute half of the healthcare workforce in hospitals. This action was denounced by the health minister of the Labour government.
Wes Streeting stated that the leadership of the doctors’ association, the British Medical Association (BMA), was “opting for confrontation rather than care. ”
“This strike no longer pertains to equity. It is about political maneuvering,” he expressed in the Daily Telegraph.
“We cannot and will not renegotiate compensation, particularly not following a 28.9 percent salary increase over the last three years and the highest pay adjustment across the entire public sector in the last two,” he further remarked.
The BMA contends that physicians still require a 26 percent pay increase to restore their earnings to the real values they held two decades ago.
The association is also advocating for an expansion of training positions.
Physicians have reported that in some instances, more than 30,000 doctors are vying for only 10,000 training opportunities that would enable them to advance in their careers towards becoming consultants.
This scenario is leaving many doctors without permanent employment after years of training.
The UK continues to grapple with a prolonged cost of living crisis, which has incited strikes across various sectors of the economy.
Groups including educators, nurses, ambulance personnel, lawyers, railway workers, and border staff have all engaged in walkouts over the past three and a half years.
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