What’s Your Thoughts On The Nurses Voting For Strike Action?

[Bobbisox1]

https://news.sky.com/story/nurses-set-to-strike-in-first-ever-national-action-as-patients-braced-for-disruption-12739713

Mine are,No they should not be striking , they enter the profession as a vocation knowing the wage scale, they do a marvellous job but I’m against all strikes as they don’t achieve anything, talking and negotiating is the only way forward and our country is in a financial mess anyway so handily out large pay increases will only make it worse

[jourdain2]

Thank you, Bobbi. Unexpected.

[Bobbisox1]

I agree with what you say Jourdain

[Untitled]

nurses were at the frontline of the pandemic… they performed admirably in circumstances when the health services were badly let down by the government.

like many other sectors they have seen a real-terms paycut over the last decade as average wages across the country have stagnated while cost of living got progressively higher… and this was true long before the present crisis. Considering recent history they are quite entitled to expect higher pay.

i think their strike is justified and i hope they win.

[Untitled]

jourdain

“ I understand, none better, that it is infuriating and very upsetting to see your pay dwindle to the equivalent of a job that didn't demand all the training, or include all the hours of home-working (marking etc.)”

the fact that you were exploited does not mean that other people should be exploited too…

in fact your example proves why they should strike. Nobody came to your aid or cared about what was happening to your earnings despite the extremely important work you were doing.

good on the nurses for standing up for themselves. If they don’t then they will suffer like you did, and i am sure you wouldn’t want others to go through that.

[tomus42]

Many of them are leaving the profession. If we need to pay them more to stop that happening, that's what we need to do. I think it's called market

[tomus42]

..forces.

[Bobbisox1]

Tomus, where do you think these pay demands will be met ?

[davebro]

Send all the strikers their P45s with a letter inviting them to re-apply for their job at current salary plus a reasonable & affordable pay rise.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// i think their strike is justified //

// like many other sectors they have seen a real-terms paycut //

Is this not tantamount to saying virtually every sector, be it public or private, is justified in taking industrial action?

[ZebuSanctuary]

// the money is going to come from? //

Since the largest group are those over the age of 65 to avail its services, would cutting the annual increment due on the state pension be a fair means of raising the money?

[Bobbisox1]

Zebu, don’t long term hospital patients already have some of their state pension taken?
Although I’m wondering if long term stays are now a thing of the past, I recall staying in 10 days for the birth of my fist child , now it’s a day, likewise when I had a hysterectomy,it was a stay of 10 days ,now I believe it’s around 24 hours

[Bobbisox1]

*first*

[Untitled]

frankly zebu i think many professions are in a position where their earnings have not improved in more than a decade while living costs especially rent have been allowed to rise to levels that are grotesque. if they can’t get a better deal by negotiation then their options are to get another job (not a realistic prospect for everyone) or to strike.

[Smowball]

Whether I think their strike plans are justified or not I think they will alienate an awful lot of people if they do decide to go ahead with it. They , I assume, did not enter this job for the money, but as a vocation, as a passion to help people and work in the nursing/ health sector. I understand any body’s frustration about feeling that they don’t earn enough but I genuinely do not feel that they are on a bad wage - they just don’t feel that their pay rises are in line with other sectors.

[10ClarionSt]

The total joint income for myself and my wife is approx £18,000. That's way below the national average for one person. Some people have no idea what that means to have to manage from week to week.

[Smowball]

Totally agree 10clarionst x

[ZebuSanctuary]

// options are to get another job (not a realistic prospect for everyone) or to strike //

One sector going on strike is manageable. Two sectors becomes unbearable. Three or more... Unthinkable!

Never a more apt phrase than, 'Holding the Country to Ransom' springs to mind.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// was a stay of 10 days ,now I believe it’s around 24 hours //

With funded research over many decades, there are millions who have benefited through the advancements which have been made. Therefore we do not hesitate to marvel at the wonders of modern day medical science.

Presumably you underwent a laparoscopic procedure?

[Ryzen]

I think the NHS staff may be 2 years late.

[Bobbisox1]

Yes I did Zebu, that, thankfully is the only hospital stays I’ve had along with a second birth, the laparoscopy was carried out at a day patient clinic, I’d never knock our wonderful NHS , they also saved my grandsons life as he was born 12 weeks premature, but striking is not the answer ,I said earlier, half the sick pay when nurses don’t turn in or even stop it if it’s for piddling reasons but those that are genuinely ill, get it