UK’s junior doctors to go on additional strikes in June

The union representing junior doctors in England has announced its intention to initiate additional strikes in June due to the collapse of salary negotiations between the healthcare workers and the government on Monday. According to statistics, the country’s publicly-run healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS), will experience further pressure because of the negotiations’ breakdown.

As per a statement from the British Medical Association (BMA), approximately 45,000 junior doctors in England will initiate a series of strikes commencing on June 13 and concluding on June 17.

The BMA has also expressed its intention to continue striking “throughout the summer” if the government “did not change its position.”

Numerous junior physicians have organized two rounds of walkouts this year to demand wage increases that correspond to the inflation rate, which was still running into double digits last month.

The government has expressed that implementing wage increases may exasperate inflation, subsequently increasing interest rates and mortgage rates.

The strikes undertaken by healthcare professionals employed in the NHS, encompassing protests by nurses and ambulance personnel, have resulted in the abandonment of a considerable number of scheduled appointments, thus impeding patient care during a period where the demand for treatment is substantial.

In a statement, about the latest strike plan, a government spokesperson said “these will be hugely disruptive for patients and put pressure on other NHS staff,” adding that they “were ready to continue talks if strikes are called off.”

Furthermore, according to the MBA, the government’s latest pay offer of a 5% increase for 2023/24 was not a credible offer since it was “nowhere near addressing pay erosion over the last 15 years.”