Co-chairmen of the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee Dr. Vivek Trivedi (left) and Dr. Robert Laurenson (right) speaking to the media outside the Department Of Health and Social Care, in London, on March 2, 2023. (PA Wire/PA Images)

Junior Doctors Ready to Strike Again if Necessary, Says Union

September 17, 2024 TruthUSA

Over the past two years, junior doctors have engaged in 44 days of strike action due to a dispute regarding a decade-long pay erosion issue.

Speaking as the co-chairman of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) Junior Doctors Committee, Dr. Vivek Trivedi stated that junior doctors are prepared to strike again if necessary.

After the union accepted the government’s pay offer, ending an 11-time strike streak since 2023, Trivedi emphasized that this offer is just the beginning of pay restoration efforts.

Junior doctors are looking for annual pay increases to regain their previous pay levels, and if this progression is not met promptly, they will consider further action, including strikes.

According to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), the strikes have cost taxpayers nearly £1.7 billion and led to the cancellation of 1.5 million appointments.

The recent acceptance of a pay deal has brought an end to the longest dispute in NHS history, with two-thirds of BMA union members agreeing to the offer. The DHSC referred to this as the most prolonged industrial dispute in the 76-year history of the NHS.

The agreement, as outlined by the BMA, includes salary increases for resident doctors and adjustments to the pay scale. These changes will help restore the pay levels of junior doctors, with noticeable improvements in their basic pay rates.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting expressed satisfaction with the acceptance of the offer, highlighting the government’s efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute.

Looking ahead, both Trivedi and Laurenson emphasized the importance of monitoring pay restoration progress and ensuring that junior doctors’ financial security remains a top priority.

As discussions continue, the BMA aims to address the remaining pay gap and work towards fully restoring junior doctors’ pay levels compared to 2008 standards.

Source link