Junior doctors excluded from 3% pay rise could take industrial action

NHS workers have lost around £9,000 a year as a result of government pay cuts and there has been growing anger over the “paltry” 3% pay rise.

However, junior doctors have been told by the government they are to only receive an “insulting” 2% pay rise.

The British Medical Association (BMA) are to ask tens of thousands of junior doctors if they want to take any industrial action over the paltry 2% pay rise.

The pay rise was agreed prior to the pandemic and the BMA are calling on the government to increase the pay rise.

Dr Sarah Hallety, who chairs the BMA junior doctors committee said, “Given the significant lengths that junior doctors have gone to throughout the pandemic and the profound impact this has had on their personal and professional lives, the government’s decision to exclude them from the pay uplift announced last month is nothing short of insulting.

“Understandably, many doctors will be angry and feel deflated that the government has chosen not to recognise their efforts with a fair reward.”

Last month the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said this is a “bitter blow” as once inflation is taken into account the pay rise would be cut.

Patricia Marquis, England director of the RCN, told BBC’s Newsnight the pay rise has left nurses feeling they were not “valued for what they do.”

She said the union are now consulting with their members, and Marquis added, “Once we have their view – which we suspect will be to say they are unhappy about the level – we will then be considering with them what the next steps might be, which could include consideration of industrial action most certainly.”

The RCN’s general secretary Pat Cullen said, “When the Treasury expects inflation to be 3.7%, Ministers are knowingly cutting pay for an experienced nurse by over £200 in real-terms.”