Junior doctors in England to strike as government talks break down

Junior doctors in England will enact a 72-hour strike between June 14 and 17, as negotiations with the government ended without an agreement. 

The British Medical Association (BMA) have rejected the government proposal of a five per cent pay rise for English junior doctors as not credible. In what will be a third strike since the beginning of the negotiations. The government have called their offer ‘fair and reasonable’.

While the government say that this latest proposed strike action will mark the end of negotiations, the BMA is looking for a 35 per cent pay rise. They say that this will compensate junior doctors for 15 years of insufficient pay rises, which they equate to a 26 per cent pay cut.

The government were able to make deals with a number of other medical unions last month, with a five per cent pay rise and a lump sum payment agreed. These negotiations were also hindered by strike action and were only agreed upon by some unions, leaving the door open to further NHS unrest in coming years.

Dr Dan Goyal wrote on Twitter: “As Sunak’s government tries to put the final nail in the coffin of our NHS by offering a derisory two per cent to Junior Doctors – driving them abroad, Scotland offers 14.5 per cent. No strikes in Scotland so far. I guess actually caring about the health of your citizens matters”:

As Sunak’s government tries to put the final nail in the coffin of our NHS by offering a derisory 2% to Junior Doctors – driving them abroad, Scotland offers 14.5%

No strikes in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 so far

I guess actually caring about the health of your citizens mattershttps://t.co/EncQ2Nqq0B

— Dr Dan Goyal (@danielgoyal) May 22, 2023

With the negotiations having run aground in England, despite the offer being upped from the 2 per cent mentioned in the previous tweet, the BMA will now go back to their members, more than 46,000 junior doctors, about how to move forward.

Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor, said on Twitter: “These doctors are the backbone of the NHS. There is no way they are worth 30% less today than they were 12 years ago. That’s why I support them to the hilt. Solidarity with my amazing junior colleagues.”

It looks at the moment that there is little chance of an agreement between the government and the many thousands of junior doctors represented by the BMA.