UNITED KINGDOM — Senior doctors in England are now voting on whether to proceed with a strike as part of an ongoing dispute over pay.
The British Medical Association (BMA), their union, stated that talks with the government concluded on Saturday with an offer that was deemed unacceptable.
According to the BMA, consultants’ salaries can vary between below £90,000 (US$111,720) and £120,000 (US$148,960), depending on experience.
However, the association highlighted that take-home pay has decreased by 35% since 2008. The government urged the BMA to consider the potential impact on patients.
If senior doctors were to go on strike, it would mark the first time since the 1970s that consultants have taken such action. The ballot for the strike, which opened on Monday, will remain open until June 27.
Dr. Vishal Sharma of the BMA expressed that they felt compelled to proceed with the ballot, stating that the decline in take-home pay, coupled with high inflation, means consultants are effectively working four months of the year without pay.
The chair of the BMA consultants committee echoed these concerns saying, “The decline in take-home pay, as well as high inflation, means “consultants are now effectively working four months of the year for free.”
While the BMA remains hopeful for a resolution, Dr. Sharma explained that the government’s final offer amounted to another real-terms pay cut, considering the prolonged decline in pay over the past 15 years.
Dr. Sharma said the BMA remained hopeful a deal could be struck, but “given that inflation remains in double digits, the final offer from the government represented yet another real-terms pay cut.”
“On the back of 15 years of our pay declining, we simply could not accept a deal that continued this downward trend and have been left with no option but to proceed today with the ballot for industrial action,” he added.
Specific details of the government’s final pay offer have not been disclosed. The Department of Health acknowledged the value of NHS consultants’ work and urged the BMA to carefully consider the potential impact on patients before taking any action.
Senior doctors received a 4.5% pay increase last year and will also benefit from pension taxation changes announced in the budget.
On average, consultants earn nearly £30,000 (US$37240) a year through additional hours and supplements.
Meanwhile, junior doctors in England are engaged in pay negotiations following strikes earlier this year. In Scotland, junior doctors have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a three-day strike.
Earlier this month, the government announced a pay raise for over one million NHS staff in England after trade unions representing a majority of workers involved in the pay dispute accepted the deal.
In addition to the ongoing concerns regarding senior doctors’ pay, a nurses’ union is now preparing for a potential strike after its leader called for a double-figure pay rise for nurses.
Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), initially urged RCN members to accept the government’s offer of a 5% salary increase for 2023-24, accompanied by a one-time payment ranging from £1,655 to £3,789 (US$2,054 to US$4,703).
However, the offer was ultimately rejected in a vote, with 54% of members voting against it.
The RCN’s decision to consider strike action reflects the dissatisfaction among nurses who believe that a higher pay increase is necessary to address their concerns and improve their working conditions.
While the government’s offer was deemed insufficient by a majority of RCN members, the exact figure for the proposed double-figure pay rise has not been specified.
The outcome of the vote indicates the growing frustration within the nursing profession, as nurses continue to face significant challenges and demands in their roles, particularly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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