British nurses are on strike.
Thousands of nurses in England will strike for higher pay and better working conditions.
The British Nurses’ Union announced that thousands of nurses will strike on December 15 and 20 to raise wages and improve working conditions.
According to the Reuters news agency, these strikes will probably be the first stage of the multiple stages of the nurses’ strike, which will take place after the government did not agree to increase their salaries by 5% more than inflation.
Pat Cullen, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “Nursing staff are neglected enough, underpaid enough.”
Cullen said the government has avoided formal negotiations since the nurses announced they would strike for the first time in history two weeks ago.
Steve Barclay, the British health minister, said that the nurses’ demands would mean a 19.2% increase in their salaries and would cost the government £10 billion a year.
“These days are challenging for everyone and the economic conditions mean that the demands of the nurses’ union cannot be met,” he said.
The British health minister added that the department under his command has plans to prevent disruptions in the provision of services to patients as a result of strikes.
The strike will increase pressure on British Prime Minister Rishi Sonak, who is facing a recession and a rising cost of living crisis in the country. The UK inflation rate reached 11.1% in October, which is unprecedented in the last 41 years.
