UK's largest nursing union to strike for two days in December
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In a long-running debacle over persistent underfunding and pensions, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will strike on 15 and 20 December across England.
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RCN’s national strike on 15 and 20 December will be the first in its 106-year history. Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/Rex/Shutterstock
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the United Kingdom's largest nursing union, announced on Friday that it will hold two strikes in December, the first in the union's more than 100-year history.
"RCN members will strike on 15 and 20 December at employers across England, Northern Ireland, and Wales after the UK government rejected our offer of formal negotiations," the RCN said on the website.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) affirmed that the strikes were prompted by the UK government's refusal to accept the RCN's "offer of formal, thorough negotiations as an alternative to strikes."
The union stated that the December strikes might be "only the beginning of a prolonged period of strike action," adding that strike action will take place in stages and that further strike dates may be announced later "if governments fail to enter into official negotiations."
"They have the power and means to stop strikes at any point but have chosen to go down this route," the union stressed.
The RCN also stated that strike plans in Scotland have been "paused" due to the Scottish government's decision to return to the bargaining table.
A record number of nurses joining the strike
The RCN announced on November 9 that its members have decided to strike over insufficient compensation, with the strike mandate continuing until early May.
According to the union, the results of the voting showed that a record number of nursing staff were willing to join picket lines this winter.
Furthermore, it stated that the action was taken for the benefit of both patients and medical staff due to a dramatic reduction in standards caused by persistent underfunding.
This comes as multiple rallies took place in some of the EU's major capital cities over soaring prices and the crushing costs of living.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the West, including the UK sought to contain Russia through the imposition of various sanctionary and punitive mechanisms.
But due to the West's overreliance on Russian gas, anti-Russian sanctions have caused more damage to UK citizens than they did to Russia, and as the government struggles to find alternatives to Russian oil, the masses are taking to the streets to voice their opposition to the consequences of the West's proxy war on Ukraine that they have to put up with.
