Doctors to go on strike next month in pay dispute
Doctors across Northern Ireland are to go on two 24-hour strikes next month, as a dispute over wages continues.
One will see a total walkout of resident doctors from 7am on November 20 to 7am the next day, while another has consultants and specialists providing only a Christmas Day level of cover from 7am on November 23 to 7am the following day.
And the province’s branch of the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that industrial action could escalate unless “meaningful progress on restoring pay” happens.
During the current financial year consultant, resident and SAS doctors are to get a pay rise of 3.5%, a figure the BMA has branded “woefully inadequate”.
In real terms, says the organisation, doctors are making 20% to 26% less than they were 18 years ago – and, states the BMA, health bosses haven’t been able to confirm whether or not the 3.5% will paid before Christmas, even though medics in the rest of the UK have already received it.
The dispute has led to negotiations with health authorities, but according to BMA specialty doctors committee chair Clodagh Corrigan, there so far isn’t an acceptable deal on the table.
“We have been clear, to avoid further industrial action we need a credible offer from government that makes meaningful progress towards full pay restoration,” she said.
“We met with the new Health Minister recently, hopeful that we could begin fresh discussions on agreeing a credible pay offer. Regrettably, this did not happen.
“We have been left with no alternative but to announce more dates for industrial action and we are fully prepared to escalate action if no progress is made.”